Celluloid Heroes

Words & Music:

Ray Davies

 

D             A           G             D

Everybody's a dreamer and everybody's a star.

    F#m            Bm                 G              A

And everybody's in movies, it doesn't matter who you are.

          Bm             F#m

There are stars in every city,

         G                  A

In every house and on every street.

           D7(add9)            G  [or C to G - a much debated topic]

And if you walk down Hollywood Boulevard,

                        A      D

Their names are written in concrete.

 

Don't step on Greta Garbo as you walk down the Boulevard.

She looks so weak and fragile that's why she tried to be so hard.

But they turned her into a princess

And they sat her on a throne.

But she turned her back on stardom

Because she wanted to be alone.

 

CHORUS:

        C                        G                   D

You can see all the stars as you walk down Hollywood Boulevard.

C                        G                            D

Some that you recognize, some that you've hardly even heard of.

C                     G                          D

People who worked and suffered and struggled for fame.

C                      G                    D

Some who succeeded and some who suffered in vain.

 

Rudolph Valentino looks very much alive.

And he looks up ladies dresses as they sadly pass him by.

Avoid stepping on Bela Lugosi

'Cause he's liable to turn and bite.

But stand close by Bette Davis

Because hers was such a lonely life.

 

If you covered him with garbage,

George Sanders would still have style.

And if you stamped on Mickey Rooney

He would still turn round and smile.

But please don't tread on dearest Marilyn

'Cause she's not very tough.

She should have been made of iron or steel

But she was only made of flesh and blood.

 

CHORUS:

 

Everybody's a dreamer and everybody's a star.

And everybody's in show biz, it doesn't matter who you are.

And those who are successful

Be always on your guard.

Success walks hand in hand with failure

Along Hollywood Boulevard.

 

I wish my life was a non-stop Hollywood movie show.

A fantasy world of celluloid villains and heroes.

Because celluloid heroes never feel any pain.

And celluloid heroes never really die.

 

CHORUS:  [new first line]

You can see all the stars as you walk along...

 

La la la la....

 

Oh, celluloid heroes never feel any pain.

Oh, celluloid heroes never really die.

I wish my life was non-stop Hollywood movie show.

A fantasy world of celluloid villains and heroes.

Because celluloid heroes never feel any pain.

And celluloid heroes never really die.