the summer sun sets a vicious circus when shadows held the world in place but today i felt a chill in my apartment's coolest place "Fuggi Regal Fantasima" the village larks cannot be heard 'cause all the crows got panderers i can't esape these velvet drapes don't want my rings to fall off my fingers "Fuggi Regal Fantasima" the mirror i find hard to face 'cause i fear its a long way down got to get away from here i think i know which hemisphere crazy me don't think there's pain in barcelona they dance you 'round a waltz confound but i fear it's a long way down yes i fear it's a long way down even if that straw i pull and i got to fight that bull nothing really compares to barcelona besides in spain don juan's to blame but i fear it's a long way down and i fear i won't be around make sure i have all my papers laying out my summer clothes search for traps in vain like scratching so my suitcase i can close "Fuggi Regal Fantasima"

Barcelona

This song is loosely about AIDS. It’s about feeling like you just wanna go someplace and dance in the street and forget your troubles. I went to Barcelona to do just that—and had a horrible time. My friend got strep throat, the hotel was a rip-off, our car was towed and we were robbed by gypsies. The line "Fuggi, regal fantasima" is Italian. It’s from Verdi’s "Macbetto." It means "Flee, regal phantasm." It’s when Macbeth is going mad and sees the ghost. In my mind, the ghost was AIDS. - rufus wainwright