Topless Dancer

If you lived in the shadow of the mountain
Would you notice when the mountain was gone
If you played in the sparkling fountain
Would the drought seem twice as long
If at night you slept with strangers in their houses
And in the morning sang a traveling song
Would you feel a little bit stronger when they were gone

She sang to me the rhythm of autumn
It was there that I found my space
In the search for the perfect Madonna
To bear the burden of amazing grace
I found her as a topless dancer
Making a mess of the place
She took no questions and she gave no answers
She just sang

Hold tight
Don’t leave the light on for me
Because I just might
Cut myself loose and go free
I hope you see the topless dancer in me

I learned to ask the Lord for forgiveness
Before I learned to forgive myself
So I wore myself thin as a window
And hung my trophies from a shelf
When I woke up in the morning from a good good dream
I felt the burden of unspeakable guilt
I washed the milky white stain from my bed sheets
And I prayed for help

So to the priests and the prophets
Who say our bodies are godless
Oh tell me what the hell does that mean
I hope you see
I hope you see
I hope you see the topless dancer in me