Used to know a ballerina She could dance from her head to her toes She came to me and said i could love you long Sometimes we whispered each other's names out low She said i could never be tied to being anybody's fool And we would linger in each other's arms In the evening when the nights got cool She turned from me to another man Who said devoted she must be And the price he paid for her accepting that Was to follow every order she would speak Soon he was dancing to her every line Sampled every song and every taste He would tell her how she danced so well But he would do the dancing in her place Ballerina why don't you dance with me Ballerina darling can't you see The moon and the stars are moving over to make room for you to shine You were so beautiful when you were all alive I wished her well and they went off to marry They moved to some pleasant town I hear he's making a living doing tax accounts She dances when the weekends come around I saw the ballerina in a dream last night A butterfly who folded up her wings Crying for the beauty she'd left behind She was crying for so many things Yes i knew a ballerina Everybody said she seemed to fly And when the music stopped she reached for somebody Who'd keep on telling her those lies Ballerinas come and dancers go I think about her every now and then And i will dance again with you i know But i don't need no ballerina again