[Verse]

I was Cleopatr

a

I was young an

d an actress

and you knelt 

by my mattress
              
and asked for 

   
my hand

And I was sad 

you asked it

as I laid in a

 black dress

with my father

 in a casket
         
I had no plans
(yea)

[Verse]

And I left the

 footprints
             
The mud staine

             
d on the carpe

 
t

and it hardene

d like my hear

t did
              
when you left 


town

But I must adm

it it
             
that I would m

              
arry you in an

 
 instant

Damn your wife

, I'd be your 

mistress
              
just to have y

   
ou around

[Chorus]
             
But I was late

     
 for this
        
Late for that
            
Late for the l

         
ove of my life
          
When I die alo

ne
          
When I die alo

ne
            
When I die I'l

       
l be on time
  
(aye)

[Verse]

And the Church

 discouraged
             
any lust that 

         
burned within 

me

Yes my flesh i

t was my curre

ncy
           
but I held out

When a man's d

ejected
             
well he can fi

             
ght for your a

ffections

or he can act 

like he never 

met you
              
and even go to

     
 the ground

[Chorus]
             
But I was late

     
 for this
        
Late for that
             
Late for the l

       
ove of my life
             
And when I die

 
 alone
          
When I die alo

ne
            
When I die I'l

        
l be on time
  
(aye)

[Verse]

So I drive a t

axi
             
and the traffi

      
c distracts me

from the stran

gers in my bac

kseat
              
They remind me

    
 of you

But it's all a

 daydream
             
when it's you 

         
who's behind m

e

but you never 

recognize me
           
appraising you

[Bridge]
            
And the only g

             
ifts from my L

ord
            
were a birth a

     
nd a divorce
         
but I've read 

this script
             
and the costum

  
e fits
           
so I play my p

art

[Verse]

And there are 

nights I wake 

up
             
to the sound o

     
f a door shut

and I search o

n the floor bu

t 
          
I find no trac

ks

[Verse]

And the nurse 

in white shoes
             
leads me back 

      
to my guest ro

om

it's a bed and

 a bathroom
              
and a place to

 
 relax

[Chorus]
             
but I was late

     
 for this
        
late for that
            
late for the l

        
ove of my life
          
When I die alo

ne
          
When I die alo

ne
             
When I die I'l

       
l be on time
   
(aye)

[Ending]