[Intro]
  

[Verse 1]
           
Cherise was br

             
ushing her lon

             
g hair gently 


down
            
It was the aft

           
ernoon of carn

 
ival
             
As she brushes

          
 it gently dow

n
           
Reuben was str

             
umming his pai

         
nted mandolin
            
It was inlaid 

             
with a pretty 

      
face in jade
             
Played the car

       
nival parade

[Verse 2]
           
Cherise was dr

             
essing as Piro

        
uette in white
           
When a fatal v

            
ision gripped 

    
her tight
            
Cherise beware

   
 tonight
           
Reuben, Reuben

            
, tell me trul

  
y true
            
I feel afraid 

             
and I don't kn

       
ow why I do
             
Is there anoth

           
er girl for yo

    
u?

[Chorus]
           
If you could s

           
ee my heart, y

             
ou would know 

         
it's true
             
There's none C

            
herise, except

        
 for you,
          
except for you
           
I'd swear to i

          
t on my very s

oul
             
If I lie, may 

           
I fall down co

    
ld

[Solo]
E|-----14-11--
B|-----------1
G|------------
D|------------
A|------------
E|------------

-----|--------
2-14-|-12-11-1
-----|--------
-----|--------
-----|--------
-----|--------

-----|--------
2-11-|--------
-----|-13-11-1
-----|--------
-----|--------
-----|--------

--|
--|
3-|
--|
--|
--|

[Verse 3]
           
When Reuben pl

             
ayed on his pa

          
inted mandolin
            
The breeze wou

           
ld pause to li

     
sten in
             
Before going i

          
ts way again
             
The Masquerade

           
 began when ni

             
ghtfall finall

  
y woke
            
Like waves aga

             
inst the bands

            
tand, dancers 


broke
             
To the painted

      
 mandolin

[Chorus]
           
Looking out on

           
 the crowd, wh

             
o is standing 

     
there
            
Sweet Ruby Cla

             
ire at Reuben 

      
stared,
         
at Reuben star

ed
           
She was dresse

           
d as Pirouette

    
 in red
             
And her hair h

           
ung gently dow

   
n

[Verse 4]
             
The crowd pres

            
sed round, Rub

            
y stood as tho

     
ugh alone
            
Reuben's song 

           
took on a diff

      
erent tone
             
And he played 

           
it just for he

r
             
The song that 

            
he played was 

            
the carnival p

  
arade
            
Each note cut 

           
a thread of Ch

        
erise's fate
             
It cut through

          
 like a blade

[Verse 5]
           
Reuben was pla

             
ying his paint

       
ed mandolin
           
When Ruby froz

            
e and turned t

  
o stone
             
For the string

             
s played all a


lone
             
The voice of C

            
herise from th

             
e face of the 

    
mandolin
            
Singing Reuben

           
, Reuben tell 

   
me true
             
For I have no 

        
one but you

[Chorus]
           
If you could s

           
ee my heart, y

             
ou would know 

         
it's true
            
There's none C

             
herise, except

        
 for you,
          
except for you
           
I'd swear to i

          
t on my very s

oul
             
If I lie, may 

           
I fall down co

    
ld

[Verse 6]
            
The truth of l

#            
ove an unsung 

         
song must tell
            
The course of 

           
love must foll

   
ow blind
            
Without a look

   
 behind
           
Reuben walked 

             
the streets of

             
 New Orleans '

    
til dawn
           
Cherise so lig

          
htly in his ar

ms
             
And her hair h

         
ung gently dow

n

[Outro]