Van dyke parks She slid on her dress under that melancholy moon Somethin' to impress him hopin' he would be there soon She gonna run away He got a chevrolet She wanted nat king cole He got a jelly roll Whole lotta heart and soul Saphron(?) and a river rat are rappin' at her door Take her to a picture show she sure ain't seen before She was a debutant Give it just what she want You tell her just where to go Down to the drive in show You be my riverboat Movies is magic Real life is tragic Fundamental though it seems When you're livin' in your dream And you wake up it's over Movies is magic Real life is tragic I regret I gotta say It is time we get away To the movies and magic Cowboy dressed like injun popped right off that silver screen Scarlet up like a jukebox for a dreamboat delta queen Raindroppin' all around Put up the top you clown And turn on the nat king cole Off with the rock and roll To the movies and magic Movies is (movies is) magic (magic) Movies is magic Real life is tragic And as time goes by and by You will often wonder why To the day that you die 'Cause movies is magic Movies is magic