Matt Robert

Lyrics

I was living in the Latin Quarter
Starving five days and half gone mad
Among the drunks, the dopers, and the debauchees
At the dirty Hotel Suzanne on the old Rue St. Eloise

And there among the creeping crawling bugs
I lay in my dirty linens day and night
I sold the pawn shop everything I owned
In desperation I sought a source of light

And then above my bed I found it
Her saintly portrait hung among the filth and the fleas
And I knew then that this must be the answer
And I must get down and beg her please

So, I got down on my knees
And cried out a little prayer to St. Eloise
Please! Please! Eloise, send me some bread and some wine
And I’ll swear to you I’ll go to church and with every last sou
I’ll kneel, and burn a candle for you

Big Maria come up to my room
Found me wasting away
She said, “Nom De Deux! What’s become of you!”
I said, “I’m starving five days and I’ve got no strength to bathe or to shave.”
She said, “Fool! Know you not what you can do?”
She was dancing on my bed but I was too tired.
She said,”Did you not leave three franc fifty for that dirty old oil can?”
I said, “Yes, return it at once and fetch me some bread and some wine!”

I seized the bread and wolfed down the wine.
And soon I was feeling better than new.
“And we’ve still twelve sou for cigarettes!” She said.
But, “No,” I replied. “I made a promise to St. Eloise.

“Haha,” she laughed, and hit me upside my head.
“Silly you, you can get up off your knees.”
“Your prayer came true, but granted by the prostitute Suzanne.”

Shaken, I cried and I rose up from my knees.
“Thank you, Suzanne, Madam, if you please!”
I grabbed Maria by her arm, we danced a petite minuet,
then, rushed out to the tobacconist to acquire ourselves some cigarettes.