Looking At Me

All my models
Sit for me twice
And then decide, then decide to become painters
I demand that they leave
They hound me at night
They knock on my door
Climb trough my windows
Make me see their pictures of me
Their pictures of me
Their pictures of me
Their pictures of me
That look like them

And what am I supposed to do
What am I supposed to do
Everything I look at
Looks at me too
At me, at me at me

Well I decided this is crap
With all these stupid models
Pick up their brush
Stand behind their easel

So I spotted this dog
This little spotted dog
In Spotsylvania
Underneath Spot’s Diner

Just sitting on the sidewalk
And I painted that dog
For an hour, for a day
And maybe for a week

And everything was fine
Until these little sketches
Started to appear
Tucked under his collar
And I seized them and opened them
And what did see
The dog’s pictures of me, pictures
That looked like him

I painted an orange
A quiet little still life
Within a couple of days
I was finding pastels

And while somewhat crude
The orange had been doodling
The orange had been diddling
So easy to see
Pictures of me
But always orange

What am I supposed to do
What am I supposed to do
Everything I look at
Starts looking at me too
At me, at me at me

A woman was standing
Behind a French window
Her face was classical
Her curves were magnificent
I pulled out some paper
And starting making lines
Maybe a dash of colour
To make the lips fuller
And I threw paint wildly
And she smiled demurely
And all the while I’m wondering
When will she want to stop
And apply the paints herself

But on and on she stood
And I loved her for it
For her pose,
For her selflessness
And on and on she stood
And the sun slowly fell
And the wind started blowing
And the darkness started settling
And on and on she stood
And on and on I loved her
And the moon rose fatly
And my eyelids started drooping
And on and on she stood

And I thought this is weird
And I ambled over to her
And I looked at her closely
And okay, she’s a mannequin
But I still love her

What am I supposed to do
What am I supposed to do
Everything I look at
Looks at me too
At me, at me at me
At me, at me
And what am I supposed to do

(lyrics: Dan Bern)

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