Black Swan
Sunset Rubdown Lyrics

There was a black swan outside the palace it was appointed by the king
A black swan was seen near the palace and it was suggested that the king needed more time. However, the singer is not afraid of any ominous signs.

And people took it as a sign that he needed more time but you said, "I ain't afraid of no blackbird"
People interpreted the presence of the black swan as a sign, but the singer is not intimidated by any superstitious beliefs.

There was a rumor of a ghost in the bedroom hanging in and around the bed
There was a rumor that a ghost was haunting the bedroom and lingering around the bed.

But by the time the moon rose you has taken off your clothes and had the pillow under your head
However, by nightfall, the artist had already undressed and settled down to sleep.

There was the face you saw above you in the fever of a hot black dream
The artist dreamed of seeing a face hovering above him in a feverish, dark dream.

But it was made out of paper and glue, and you were hoping for something a little more realistic, you were hoping for the head of the queen
The face turned out to be a poorly-made prop made of paper and glue. The singer had hoped for a more realistic vision, perhaps the head of the queen.

My heart is a kingdom where the king is a heart, and my heart is king, my heart is king
The singer's heart is his kingdom and he is the ruler of his own emotions.

And my heart is a kingdom where the king is a heart, and my heart is king, the king of hearts
The artist's heart is again emphasized as his domain and he is the king of hearts.

There was the matador who said he would have you, if you could only give it up and walk away
A matador offered to be with the artist if he would abandon his current life and run away with the matador.

He has carved out an avenue for you, from the palace to the palisades
The matador had created a route for the artist to escape from the palace to the cliffs by the ocean.

But now it's half destroyed, and you are half destroyed
However, this route is now partially destroyed and the situation has left the singer in a similar state of ruin.

I see you running down a washed-out road, I see you running between the dream and the void
The artist envisions the image of the listener running down a road that has been washed out, caught between reality and the unknown.

You got mascara all over your bed sheets, you got mascara all over your clothes!
The singer notices that the listener's bed sheets and clothes are stained with mascara.

You got mascara making broken-hearted shapes on your face, and you have yet to see the ghost
The mascara on the listener's face is smudged in a way that resembles a broken heart. The singer notes that the ghost has still not been seen.