INSIDE HER SKIN

In her room of a thousand books, in the heart of cathedral city
When she walks, no-one stares, no-one looks, 'ah well', she says; 'we can't all be pretty'
She's a plain thing - lacking grace, no-one looks twice at her unpainted face
Lives alone, seldom cooks, she has her plants and her thousand books

But inside her soul, inside her skin
She's somebody's lover she's somebody's twin
Respected and loved, creative and whole
Inside her skin, oh inside her soul

So she works for a firm in town doing nothing of great importance
Where she shuffles the files around and apart from the phones there's silence
So she daydreams, stealing hope; it's not like living but it helps her to cope
Precious lies, killing time - she says 'say what you like, at least these are mine'

But inside her skin, inside where it hurts
She's aching for passion, a few tender words
She's bandaged her heart so that the longings stay in
Inside of her soul, oh, inside her skin

She's Rapunzel in a cardboard tower but lacking the happy ending
Never given a single flower - thinks of buying her own; such sad intending
Doesn't spend much - what's to buy? but paperback novels where true love can't die
Reads them all - weeps alone fading from view in a world of her own

And inside her skin in chains on neglect
There's somebody real who's not given up yet
It's a prison dreams this cage that she's in
Locked inside the lies inside her own skin

And inside her skin, inside where it hurts
She's aching for passion, a few tender words
She's bandaged her heart so that the longings stay in
Inside of her soul, oh, inside her skin
Inside the lies, oh, inside her skin
Inside her soul, oh, inside her skin