"Ballad of Cleo and Joe" is a song by
American singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper, taken from her fifth studio
album, Sisters of Avalon (1996). The song was written and Cyndi Lauper,
Jan Pulsford while it was produced by Pulsford, Mark Saunders and
Lauper. The song was released as the third single from the album on
September 16, 1997 by Epic Records
The song describes the double life of a drag queen, the titular 'Little Joe' (by day) and 'Cleo' (by night).
Every day the clock kicks off the beat. Little Joe struggles just to get up on his feet. Waits in his platforms for the right train to come. Sipping his coffee another day has begun ...
Little Joe got work for minimum wage. Tries to get through another dead beat day. At five o'clock he comes home to change, Takes him many hours just to rearrange...
And he works his body just to be somebody. There's a woman in the mirror looking like a dream. And he works his body... And he feels somebody... And the working boy becomes a dancing queen.
Every night the DJ kicks off the beat. Little Cleo's jumping just to get up on her feet. Waits in her platforms for the right song to come. Sipping her cocktail another night has begun.
And he works his body just to be somebody. There's a woman in the mirror looking like a dream. And he works his body... And he feels somebody... And the working boy becomes a dancing queen.
Every morning the clock kicks off the beat. Little Joe struggles just to get up on his feet. Waits in his platforms for the right train to come.
