"Gertrude And Alice" lyrics

Gertrude and Alice moved to Paris
And lived on the rue Fleurus
They played their part
In promoting new art
By buying a painting or two
Pablo and George were able to forge
A mutual dependency based
On selling their paintings
Tacitly stating
It was duty as well as good taste

Alice's looks and Gertrude's books
Created a social whirl
In their arty salon
They worked hard-to get on
With each of Pablo's new girls
When war arrived
Miss Stein learned to drive
And ordered a brand new Ford
She rattled round Paris
With passenger Alice
And they helped in the hospital wards

Poor Madeleine gets caught in the rain
This morning she has no defences
Last night with Henri she left her parapluie
Now she's soaked to the skin as she hurries chez lui
While soldiers shiver in trenches

The books Gertrude wrote
Gave rise to the quote
A rose is a rose is a rose
Though quite what it meant
Or its literal intent
Was never quite fully disclosed

The cold morning mist
Slowly lifts
Over the river Seine
M'sieur Kirov returns for his gloves
His wife still not dressed
And he stays and makes love
And now he is late for his train

Artists and writers stimulate and excite us
Though most of them alpha and male
Alice heard Gertrude say
That she found Hemingway
Paradoxically earnest and frail

Gertrude and Alice moved to Paris
And lived on the Rue Fleurus
They played their part
In promoting new art
By buying a painting or two