Cherise was brushing her long hair gently down.
It was the afternoon of Carnival
As she brushes it gently down
Reuben was strummin his painted mandolin
It was inlaid with a pretty face in jade
Played the Carnival parade
Cherise was dressed in pirouette in white
When a fatal vision gripped her tight
Cherise beware tonight
Reubin, Reubin tell me truly true
I feel afraid and I don't know why I do
Is there another girl for you?
If you could see my heart
You would know its true
There's none Cherise, except for you
Except for you
I swear to it on my very soul
If I lie may I fall down cold
When Reubin play on his painted mandolin
The breeze would pause to listen in
Before going its way again
The masquerade began when nightfall finally woke
Like waves against the bandstand, dances broke
To the painted mandolin
Looking out on the crowd
Who was standing there
Sweet Ruby Claire at Reuben stared
At Reuben stared
She was dressed in a pirouette in red
And her hair hung gently down
And the crowd thrashed ‘round
Ruby stood as though alone
Reuben's song took on a different tone
And he played it just for Her
The song that he played was the Carnival parade
Each note cut a thread of Cherise's fate
It cut through like a blade
Reuben was playing his painted mandolin
When Ruby froze and turned to stone
As the strings played all alone
The voice of Cherise, from the face of the mandolin
Now Reuben, Reuben, Tell me true
Cuz I have no one but you
If you could see my heart
You would know it's true
There's none Cherise, except for you
Except for you
I would swear to it on my very soul
If I lie may I fall down cold
The force of love an unsung song must tell
The truth of the love must follow blind
Without a look behind
Reuben walked the streets of New Orleans till dawn
Cherise so lightly in his arms
And her hair hung gently down