Rubin and Cherise

Cherise was brushing her long hair gently down It was the afternoon of carnival As she brushes it gently down And Rubin was strumming his painted mandolin It was inlaid with a pretty face in jade Played in the carnival parade Cherise was dressing as Pirouette in white When a fatal vision gripped her tight Cherise beware tonight Rubin, Rubin tell me truly true I feel afraid and I don't know why I do Is there another girl for you? If you could see my heart you would know it's true There's none Cherise, except for you, except for you Well, I swear to it on my very soul If I lie may I fall down cold When Rubin played on his painted mandolin The breeze would pause to listen in Before going on its way again Masquerade began when nightfall finally woke Like waves against the bandstand, the dancers broke To the painted mandolin And looking out all the crowd who is standing there Sweet Ruby Claire at Rubin stared, at Rubin stared She was dressed as Pirouette in red And her hair hung gently down The crowd pressed round, Ruby stood as though alone Rubin's song took on a different tone And he played it just for her The song that he played was the carnival parade Each note cut a thread of Cherise's fate It cut through like a blade Rubin was playing his painted mandolin Ruby froze and turned to stone For the strings played all alone The voice of Cherise from the face of the mandolin Singing Rubin, Rubin tell me true For I have no one but you Oh, if you could see my heart you would know it true There's none Cherise, except for you, except for you I'd swear to it on my very soul, If I lie may I fall down cold The truth of love an unsung song must tell The course of love must follow blind Without a look behind Rubin walked the streets of New Orleans 'til dawn Cherise so lightly in his arms And her hair hung gently down