Catullus LVIII—The Movie

 
In English:
Caelius, our Lesbia, that Lesbia,
that same Lesbia, whom Catullus loved
more than himself and more than all his own,
now loiters at the cross-roads and in the backstreets
ready to toss-off the grandsons of the brave Remus.

 
Recast as Rock ’n’ Roll—Part I
Romeo and Juliet by Mark Knopfler
A lovestruck Romeo sings a streetsuss serenade
laying everybody low with a lovesong that he made
finds a convenient streetlight steps out of the shade
says something like you and me babe how about it?

Juliet says hey it’s Romeo you nearly gimme a heart attack
he’s underneath the window she’s singing hey la my boyfriend’s back
you shouldn’t come around here singing up at people like that
anyway what you gonna do about it?

Juliet the dice were loaded from the start
and I bet and you exploded in my heart
and I forget I forget the movie song
when you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong Juliet?

Come up on different streets they both were streets of shame
both dirty both mean yes and the dream was just the same
and I dreamed your dream for you and now your dream is real
how can you look at me as if I was just another one of your deals?

When you can fall for chains of silver you can fall for chains of gold
you can fall for pretty strangers and the promises they hold
you promised me everything you promised me thick and thin
Now you just say oh Romeo yeah you know I used to have a scene with him

Juliet when we made love you used to cry
you said I love you like the stars I’ll love you till I die
there’s a place for us you know the movie song
when you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong Juliet?

I can’t do the talk like they talk on TV
and I can’t do a love song like the way it’s meant to be
I can’t do everything but I’d do anything for you
I can’t do anything except be in love with you

And all I do is miss you and the way we used to be
all I do is keep the beat and bad company
all I do is kiss you through the bars of a rhyme
Julie I’d do the stars for you any time

Juliet when we made love you used to cry
you said I love you like the stars above I’ll love you till I die
and there’s a place for us you know the movie song
when you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong Juliet?

A lovestruck Romeo sings a streetsuss serenade
laying everybody low with a lovesong that he made
finds a convenient streetlight steps out of the shade
says something like you and me babe how about it?

 
Recast as Rock ’n’ Roll—Part II
Another Dime-Store Epiphany
you know that girl i wanted?
you know that girl i dreamed?
you know that girl who made my world?
she wasn’t what she seemed

i saw it all just like the lights on broadway madly flashing
i saw the dreams the nightmare scenes the nights of endless passion
i saw the ads the flukes the fads the fascist flights of fashion
i saw the storm behind my eyes and heard the thunder crashing

but it was just another dime-store epiphany
just another seeded roll outside the doors of tiffany
just another orphan key without a lock or hasp
just another precious treasure just outside my grasp

you know that ring i bought her?
that ring i stole to buy?
that ring of roses through my nose is
in the hands of ‘just some guy’

i saw it all in bright relief a curtain had been lifted
the scales fell from my eyes and i could see where i had drifted
i drew a seine across the drain the truth was finely sifted
i thought if i knew everything everything would be uplifted

but it was just another dime-store epiphany
i prowl around on hands and knees to try to find what’s left of me
romeo’s out in the cold without a juliet to hold
without a cause for pride i don’t grow up i just grow old

you know that night I caught her?
guess what she didn’t say?
can you just guess what kind of mess
she made before she went away?

i saw it like the words were burning flames inside my eyes
i saw her dancing chancing fate with all those other guys
i saw my fear my fury as i tried to seem surprised
i knew i knew it all before i hid it under all those lies

i had myself a dime-store epiphany
i heard a song inside my head it sounded like a symphony
i thought i knew the answer i thought i’d found the way
i knew for sure i’d found the cure but there was nothing i could say...

’cause it was just another dime-store epiphany
breakfast is a seeded roll outside the walls of tiffany
just another orphan key without a lock or hasp
just another precious treasure
just another precious treasure
just another precious treasure
just outside my grasp