Dory Previn Mary C. Brown And The Hollywood Sign
You know the Hollywood Sign
that stands in the Hollywood Hills
I don't think the Christ of the Andes
ever blessed so many ills
the Hollywood Sign seems to smile
like it's constantly saying "cheese"
I doubt if the statue of liberty
ever welcomed more refugees
give me your poor
your tired your pimps
you carhops your cowboys
your midgets your chimps
give me your freaks
your whores your harlots
your flunkies your junkies
give me your starlets
Mary Cecilia Brown
rode to town on a Malibu bus
she climbed to the top
of the Hollywood Sign
and with the smallest possible fuss
she jumped off the letter "h"
'cause she did not become a star
she died in less than a minute and a half
she looked a bit like Hedy Lamarr
sometimes I have this dream
when the time comes for me to go
I will climb that hill
and I'll hang myself
from the second or third letter "o"
when Mary Cecilia jumped
she finally made the grade
her name was in the obituary column
of both the daily trades
I hope the Hollywood Sign
cries for the town it touches
the lady of lourdes in her grotto
saw fewer cripples and crutches
give me your poor
your maladjusted
your sick and your beat
and your sad and your busted
give me your has-beens
give me your twisted
your loners your losers
give me your black-listed
you know the Hollywood Sign
the witness to our confusion
a symbol of dreams
turns out to be
a sign
of disillusion.
