I am thinking about a woman in the century of peace   On a bright mosaic she is washing on her knees   And she looks up at the black sky beyond the mountain tall   She says "oh good, the rain is finally going to fall today"   This was Pompeii      And everyone has memories from the night that melted stone   The neighbour's nightgown, the screaming on the phone   And the tired man at the station says "we can't tell who's alive   All we ever know is that the tourists survive"   "Tra la la, tra la la, let's go" they say   "Let's go Pompeii"      And I think about Pompeii when I feel an end is near   Just before the rain and everytime you disappear   And I think about a teacup suspended and half-served   ANd all the scholars know is that it's perfectly preserved   "Oh, oh, oh, oh" that's all they say   This was Pompeii      And as for my own kingdom, not a table leg was charred   I simply lost my kingdom cause I held it much too hard   Once I had a sadness, the sadness turned to trust   The trust turned into ashes and to lawyers and to dust   A century, a day   This was Pompeii, this was Pompeii