An inspirational tirade against me
How to explain my life
Boys to the left of me
girls to the right of me
neither husband nor wife
Though the days are filled with pain
there is no one who'll explain
why I'm coming under friendly fire
shot in the fatal cause of rock and roll
but there's nothing really nothing to say
Why I endure under force majeure
slander without shame or tact
I who studied make up mime and Buddha
who taught two generations to react
About me the critics lied
I ignored them and survived
in spite of coming under friendly fire
shot in the fatal cause of rock and roll
I have nothing really nothing to deny
When I look back
my eyes are filled with tears
Danger to mascara applause to my peers
When fame sustained me
and arenas acclaimed me
I floated through life in a cloud
of love and insanity and pagan profanity
before a worshipping crowd
Now my status is ill defined
As an icon I'm inclined
to be coming under friendly fire
shot in the fatal cause of rock and roll
but whatever dull or clever
points they've scored
I have never oh no never been ignored