Song: The Face Behind the Scream - John Cooper Clarke

this case appears to be urgent
kindly pull the screen
cosmetic surgeon
the son of mr. sheen
is jerry building versions
of the face behind the scream

the girl who would be beauty queen
tells the doctor of her dream
in which she reads a magazine
wearing only cold cream
they call her the face behind the scream

the image he maintains
and the silence he observes
says it’s worth a little pain
for the figure we both deserve
a cowboy by profession since the age of 17
who’s singular obsession is the face behind the scream

the girl who would be beauty queen
tells the doctor of her dream
a soiree in the mezzanine
and castenets and tambourines
a careless word and ugly scenes

the doctor knows he’s made for good impressions on demand
the new nose in the neighborhood was fashioned by these hands
he can do it blindfold, his instruments are clean
a snapshot in his mind holds the face behind the scream

the girl who would be beauty queen
diamond rivets in her jeans
wild and with-it even off screen

he then removes the bandage and the odd remaining scab
a flair for fancy language...
the gift of the gab
hands you a sandwich and applies the vaseline
to show to best advantage the face behind the scream

the girl who would be beauty queen
tells the doctor of her dream
in which she turns her money green
finds herself in a funny scene
cracks up like a shatterproof windscreen

danke schoen ich liebe dich, i promise not to hurt
a telephone receiver clicks red alert
whatever you do don’t touch that switch, the doctor goes to work
with his bag of tricks in his limousine
mugshots from magazines
face creams and photofits
to fit the face that doesn’t fit
the face behind the scream

the girl who would be beauty queen
surrounded by the regular team
of pluto brats and coma teens
in bowler hats and brilliantine
or bold cravats of bottle green
such a precious little dream
to be taken to extremes
how many times can you be sixteen
they call her the face behind the scream.