The Ageing Young Rebel (Gentle Cruelty)

An ageing young rebel
Called what's his name
Wanted to be different
While he stayed the same
And he couldn't
He just couldn't
No matter what he would try
Told by his mother
An ageing old thing
You better go see Clever
You give Clever a ring
Which he did
Called him up
Just so Mommy wouldn't cry

Clever heard his story
About different from the same
He said you crazy?
This some silly game?
No, no it ain't
Like Mommy said
You gotta straighten out my head

Clever, you're so clever
Is your cleverness enough?
Can you help this ageing rebel
Do you really have the stuff?
Bet you don't have
Bet you bread that you'll pass the buck instead
Clever sends our hero
To a funny darkened room
Where a crowd of Cunning listens
Giggles in the gloom
That's your problem, ageing rebel
Don't you really know the score
You crazy, you think you're going to change this silly world?
Better see yourself a shrink
Cunning, they argue about our boy
Who's breaking down the door

Now he's running down a dark
Diabolical awaits
Grabs him by the ankle
Ain't it just like fate
Diabolical laughs
In an alley full of soot
Forget the same
You'll be different now
Somewhat shorter on one side
Let go!
Oh no
Would you, Diabolical inside
Panic in his brain pulls and gets away
Loses him a foot, it's a dark and evil day
See him running, limping blood
Something soft is just ahead
Something soft is Gentle
He's fallen at her side
She comforts him with kisses
He dreams of suicide

Gentle is so gentle
Grabs the trouble by its root
Bandages his stump
Cuts off his other foot

So you see, it seems to me, a gentle kind of cruelty
Ageing rebel's older, a little wiser maybe too
Gentleness has fixed him
Does he look like me and you?
Footless and fancy-free
Think how happy Mom will be
Footless and fancy-free
Think how happy Mom will be