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lyrics

Picking up a pack of cigarettes from the corner store one day,
In the summer of 1941,
I spotted a cover of Life Magazine that took my breath away –
A babe in a bikini, munching on a burger, glowing in the sun.
At first I just saw the burger, and realized I hadn’t had lunch,
But then I saw her smile, her legs, her ha-air.
She looked so sexy pigging out, I suddenly had a hunch
That’s that’s the girl whose life I’d like to share.

I opened up the magazine to see what it would say
And lo and behold, what did I find
But the same girl kneeling on a bed, in a skimpy negligee
And the way she raised her eyebrow made me nearly lose my mind.
Within a year, that picture was pinned to every soldier’s bunk,
Helping relieve the tensions of the war
All those guys could do about it was jerk off their own junk,
But I’m Orson Welles, I always aim for more!

Oh, she’ll be my cover girl
I’ll cover her with kisses, cover her with jewels, cover her with hugs like a bear
Oh, my cover girl
She’ll cover me with glamour, cover me with cleavage, cover me with long red flowing hair.
Oh cover girl, be my lover girl, oh won’t you marry

Everywhere I looked I saw more pictures of Rita
But I heard she was still married to some schmuck
Then I read that she was getting divorced – it was time to meet her
Now all I needed was an invitation, my genius, and some luck.
I found her at a party in a stunning strapless dress.
I offered her a light, a drink, and my name.
From the way she giggled at my jokes, I could tell she was impressed,
Even though she’d never seen “Citizen Kane.”

Before you knew it we were getting married by a judge -
Not a very glamorous affair.
I wore stripes and she wore a suit the color of caramel fudge
But the photographers still ate it up – they didn’t seem to care..
I knew she came from Brooklyn, I knew she’d changed her name,
I knew she’d dyed her hair to not look Spanish.
She knew I was a bit of an ass, but she loved me just the same,
And when I kissed those lips, my doubts would vanish.

Cause I’ve got my cover girl
She’s on the cover of Time, the cover of Photoplay, of course the cover of Life
Oh, my cover girl
I cover the world with envy because the cover girl’s my wife
Oh, cover girl, you’re my lover girl, now you married…

I didn’t want to buy a house, I didn’t want to be tied down,
But she insisted so that’s what we got.
I didn’t want a kid always crying and running round
But I knocked her up when she dared me, “Are you a man or not?”
She didn’t want to go to parties, she’d just stay home and bake
But I wouldn’t let that stop me from going out.
When I came home she’d never be sober, but always still awake,
And when she saw me she would scream and shout

Oh that’s my cover girl
She covers up her past, covers up her drinking, covers up her insecurities.
Oh, my cover girl
I cover up my boredom, cover up my cheating, cover up my fear of obscurity.
Oh cover girl, you cover girl, why did I marry…

Well finally she had enough and she ran off with a prince -
No really - the son of the Aga Khan.
I didn’t cry, I didn’t scream, I didn’t even wince,
I shot one final film with her and then I just moved on.
She lost her prince, she lost her looks, she lost her battle with temptation
She even lost her mind before she died.
I gained a couple hundred pounds and a terrible reputation
As a guy who couldn’t finish a film on budget if he tried.
So I watch old movies on TV,
And I tell old stories at lunch,
And I try to recover the glory days,
And I try to recover the joy,
And I try… to…

Recover the girl -
Recover the way she made me feel, recover the part of us that was real
From the cover girl,
Oh cover girl,
Oh my cover girl, death is scary!

credits

from Bushwick Book Club Presents "My Lunches with Orson", released November 6, 2013

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The Bushwick Book Club Brooklyn, New York

We started in January 2009 playing songs written in response to Kurt Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions. We haven't stopped since. We've written & performed songs inspired by everything from "On The Origin of Species" to Dr. Seuss to Raymond Carver. There are BBCs popping up nationwide now. Bushwick Book Club Seattle started in 2010 & is run by Geoff Larson. Our nerdy dare-devilry knows no bounds. ... more

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