I was born with the charm of innocence
On my back like a cross
Thorns upon my forehead
Round my neck I wore it
Sometimes a rabbit's claw
Sometimes an albatross
It began at a school that turned boys into gentlemen
Then turned them on to debauchery
I was forced to my knees in front of these gentlemen
If I refused they would torture me
On Sundays I'd stalk the Botanical Garden
And under my uniform something would harden
Whenever I passed a girl of my own age
Or did it begin with au pair girls from Germany
Paid by the hour to look after us?
Did it begin with that first opportunity
To corner a stranger with nakedness?
Maybe the clinical way they undressed me
Stayed with me and deeply distressed me
I think, at heart, I'm something of a prude
I was born with the charm of innocence
On my back like a cross
Thorns upon my forehead
Round my neck I wore it
Sometimes a rabbit's claw
Sometimes an albatross
Then at eighteen I decided I wanted
To be a commercial photographer
I rented a studio down by the docks
Which I shared with a friendly pornographer
I photographed models in fluorescent light
Whose veins were so blue and whose breasts were so white
I assumed, like the moon, women were blue cheese
When I left home I already had five years
Of self abuse under my belt
I found certain women who'd let me try anything
Just to find out how it felt
In some garish hotel room with vile decoration
The wallpaper witnessed my first pollination
The paisley patterns witnessed an abortion
I was born with the charm of innocence
On my back like a cross
Thorns upon my forehead
Round my neck I wore it
Sometimes a rabbit's claw
Sometimes an albatross
In the army they taught me to share the abuse
That I'd kept up 'til then to myself
There's nothing like killing
For coaxing a shy boy of twenty-one out of his shell
In the dark continent with a peace-keeping force
I fell in with a bunch of Algerian whores
And promised them I'd try and keep in touch
We met up again in the eighteenth arrondisement
I remember them well
Their lank stringy hair and their big bulbous noses
Their unmistakable smell
I'd approach all the ugliest, seediest jerks
And ask them to keep a young model in work
Some men, thank Christ, don't discriminate at all
I was born with the charm of innocence
On my back like a cross
Thorns upon my forehead
Round my neck I wore it
Sometimes a rabbit's claw
Sometimes an albatross
I will pass my old age by a pale two-bar fire
Patiently waiting to die
Twitching the lace as the schoolgirls go past
Tracing a page of Bataille
And if you catch sight of my secondhand coat
Leaving behind it a faint whiff of goat
Remember both of us are naked underneath
I thought it would end with the first obscene phone call
The second professional kill
But somehow detached from my actual behavior
This innocence burdens me still
Up in the attic I pick up the brush
Paint in the crow's feet, paint out the blush
The face this portrait is of is still capable of
The face this portrait is supposed to be of is still capable of
The face this portrait is of is still capable of (Paint out the blush of shame)
The face this portrait is supposed to be of is still capable of (Paint out the blush of shame)
The face this portrait is of is still capable of (Paint out the blush of shame)
The face this portrait is supposed to be of is still capable of (Paint out the blush of shame)
The face this portrait is of is still capable of (Paint out the blush of shame)
The face this portrait is supposed to be of is still capable of (Paint out the blush of shame)
(Paint out the blush of shame)
(Paint out the blush of shame)
(Paint out the blush of shame)
The Charm Of Innocence
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Lyrics by Momus
"Nicky" A Complete History of Sexual Jealousy Parts 17-24 Bishonen Bluestocking Closer To You Corkscrew King Death Ruins Everything Eleven Executioners Flame Into Being Folk Me Amadeus Frilly Military Hotel Marquis de Sade I Am A Kitten I Want You, But I Don't Need You I Was A Maoist Intellectual Ice King In The Sanatorium Is it Because I'm a Pirate? Islington John John The Baptist Jones Little Lord Obedience Lolitapop Dollhouse Love On Ice Lucky Like St. Sebastian Microworlds Murderers, The Hope Of Women Old Friend, New Flame Paper Wraps Rock Platinum Right Hand Heart Rules Of The Game Of Quoits See A Friend In Tears Sempreverde Shaftesbury Avenue Situation Comedy Blues So Hard Someone Streetlamp Soliloquy Summer Holiday 1999 The Angels Are Voyeurs The Angels Are Voyeurs (Reprise) The Day The Circus Came To Town The Gatecrasher The Girl With No Body The Girl With No Body The Guitar Lesson The Homosexual The Homosexual [Live] The Lessons Of Sodom (According To Lot) The Rape Of Lucretia Three Wars Violets What Will Death Be Like? Your Fat Friend
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the Charm of Denial - The Story Changes
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Charm - Eldest 11
Is This All? - Jonatha Brooke
Is This All - Jonatha Brooke
Is This All? - Brooke Jonatha
Charm Alarm - Debbie Harry
Peace Of Charm - Lexia Allies
The Charm Of The Seer - Ayreon
Comin' Around - Bubba Sparxxx
The Prophet - Christian Epidemic
The Innocence - Tony Iommi
The Innocence - Kids in the Way
The Window Of Innocence - In Excelsis
The Innocence of Heartbreak - ROBOTS GO BEEP!
The Age of Innocence - The Smithereens
The Innocence Of Sleep - Placebo
The End of Innocence - Jamies Elsewhere
The Slaughter Of Innocence - Hecate Enthroned
End Of The Innocence - Don Henley
Hunger Of The Innocence - Cemetary
The Days of Innocence - Cindy Morgan
The End Of Innocence - Symphony X
The Death Of Innocence - Dark Angel
Nosferatu - Evergrey
Innocence - Luka Bloom
Royal T - Crookers
Royal T - Roisin Murphy
Mairzy Doats - The Innocence
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Charm Of A Gun - Kajagoogoo
A Matter of Fact - Innocence
Natural Thing - Innocence
A Matter of Fact - Innocence
OH NOES! - Jimi Jive
I Want My Innocence Back [*] - Emilie Autumn
Charm of a Gun - Kaja
That Kind Of Love - Pierce Pettis
Same Old Innocence - Architecture In Helsinki
Zerubbabel [spontaneous] - Rick Pino
My Innocence - Laura Nyro
The Phoenix Alive (Kris Menace Remix) - Monarchy
Innocence - The Airborne Toxic Event
Innocence - Sarah Buxton
Innocence - Psycho Motel
Innocence - This Holiday Life
Innocence - PK
Innocence - Jester's March
Innocence - Nero
Innocence - Renaissance
Innocence - Harlequin
Innocence - Season's End
Innocence - Enuff Z'nuff
Innocence - Lillian Axe
Innocence - Autokat
Innocence - Björk
Innocence - Pain Of Salvation
Innocence - Rurouni Kenshin
Innocence - Temple Scene
Innocence - Deborah Blando
innocence - Open Air Stereo
Innocence - Azrael's Bane
Innocence - Nero
Innocence - Shaded Red
Innocence - Björk
Innocence - Disturbed
Innocence - Seether
Innocence - Halestorm
Innocence - Bjork
Innocence - The Normals
Innocence - Yohio
Innocence - Uh Huh Her
Innocence - Amanda Lee
Innocence - Alice Nine
Innocence - Maccoll Kirsty
INNOCENCE - The Renaissance
Innocence - Orange 9mm
Innocence - Hootie & The Blowfish
Innocence - P.O.D.
Innocence - Martin Björk
Innocence - Avril Lavigne
Innocence - Azrael
Innocence - Azrael
Innocence - Azrael
Innocence - Azrael
Innocence - Inside Out
Innocence - Hootie & The Blowfish
Innocence - Flume
Innocence - Kirsty Maccoll
Innocence - Jeremy Camp
Innocence - Go West
Innocence - Union 13
Innocence - Tamaki Hiroshi
Innocence - JLS
Innocence - Seventh Day Slumber
Innocence - Electric Youth
Innocence - Madeon
Innocence - Dream On, Dreamer
Innocence - Blando Deborah
Innocence - Bj\u00f6rk
Innocence - The Other Two
Innocence - Icon And The Black Roses
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Innocence - Miyano Mamoru
Innocence - New Model Army
circles of love (d&s radio mix) - X-Perience
The Bedtime Charm - Will Cookson
Holding The Charm - Sunfold
The Charm Offensive - Oceansize
Charm The Snake - Christopher Cross
Circles Of Love (d&s Radio Mix) - X-Perience
Circles Of Love Dands Radio Mix - X
Circles of Love [D&S Radio Mix] - X-Perience
Leap of Innocence - Liz Phair
Slaughter Of Innocence - Malevolent Creation
World Of Innocence - Yothu Yindi
Wreck of Innocence - The Autumn Film
Eyes of Innocence - Miami Sound Machine
Echoes of Innocence - Fear Factory
Land of Innocence - Thunderstone
Eyes of Innocence - Holy Soldier
Age of Innocence - Syringe
Age Of Innocence - Iron Maiden
Eyes Of Innocence - Gloria Estefan
Child of Innocence. - Kansas
Child Of Innocence - Falconer
End Of Innocence - Iced Earth
Walls of Innocence - Egypt Central
Rape Of Innocence - Jacobs Dream
Rape Of Innocence - Jacob's Dream
Perversion Of Innocence - Fleshgrind
Picture Of Innocence - Deep Purple
Song Of Innocence - Sarah Brightman
Days Of Innocence - Ednita Nazario
Fountain Of Innocence - Cathedral
Heart of Innocence - Jessica Simpson
End Of Innocence - Unsung Zeros
Paragons of Innocence - Savatage
Age of Innocence - Smashing Pumpkins
Child of Innocence [#] - Kansas
Rain Of Innocence - Rise Today
Child Of Innocence - Kansas
Field of Innocence - Evanescence
Revelations of Innocence - Amduscia
Age of Innocence - Audiomachine
Fields of Innocence - Evanescence
Age Of Innocence - The Smashing Pumpkins F/
Age Of Innocence - The Smashing Pumpkins
Guilty of Innocence - Death Angel
Scars Of Innocence - Empires of Eden
End Of Innocence - Kamelot
Generation Of Innocence - Eloy
The End Of The Innocence - Keith Harkin
The End Of The Innocence - Don Henley
The End Of The Innocence...
The End of the Innocence - Okkervil River
The End Of The Innocence - Bruce Hornsby
Circles Of Love (radio Edit) - X-Perience
Innocents Abroad - Armoury Show
On - Bloc Party
The Prodigal - A Bullet For Pretty Boy
Massacre Of Innocence (Air Attack) - Discharge
Meet You At The Mouth - Army Of Me
Yellow Cocktail Music - Have Fun Dying
Crucified For The Innocence - Deicide
Innosense - Smashing Pumpkins
Mr. Charm - Mason Proper
got any spare love? - East of Innocence
Cabaret - Brenda Lee
Hollywood - Cute Is What We Aim For
Chewbacca Defence - Darko
Strangeness And Charm - Tim Finn
Innocence (nowhere left to hide) - Juke Kartel
A Man Of Hate (Lord Misery) - Jarboe
To Charm You - The Saving Pointe
Strangeness & Charm - Florence & The Machine
Strangeness & Charm - Florence and the Machine
Luckycharm - The Isley Brothers
Innocent Again - Switchfoot
Goodbye To Innocence - Madonna
Lucky Charm - Juicy J
Let Joy And Innocence Prevail - Grace Jones
Quiet Use of Charm - Universal Hall Pass
Shameless Use of Charm - Everclear
Let Joy And Innocence Prevail - Various Artists
The Age Of Negligence - Dead Season
THE THREE GREAT STIMULANTS - Joni Mitchell
Cry Your Eyes Out - Hardcore Superstar
Back To Innocence - Stephanie Smith
