The minstrel in the gallery looked down upon the smiling faces He met the gazes, observed the spaces between the old men's cackle He brewed a song of love and hatred, oblique suggestions, and he waited He polarized the pumpkin-eaters, static-humming panel-beaters, freshly Day-glo'd factory cheaters (salaried and collar-scrubbing) He titillated men-of-action, belly warming, hands still rubbing on the Parts they never mention He pacified the nappy-suffering, infant-bleating one-line jokers, TV Documentary makers (over-fed and undertakers) Sunday paper backgammon players, family-scarred and women-haters Then he called the band down to the stage and he looked at all the friends He'd made The minstrel in the gallery looked down upon the smiling faces He met the gazes observed the spaces in between the old men's cackle And he brewed a song of love and hatred - oblique suggestions - and he Waited He polarized the pumpkin-eaters, static-humming panel-beaters The minstrel in the gallery looked down on the rabbit-run And threw away his looking-glass, saw his face in everyone Hey! He titillated men-of-action, belly warming, hands still rubbing on the Parts they never mention (salaried and collar-scrubbing) He pacified the nappy-suffering, infant-bleating one-line jokers, t. V Documentary makers (over-fed and undertakers) Sunday paper backgammon players, family-scarred and women-haters Then he called the band down to the stage and he looked at all the friends He'd made The minstrel in the gallery looked down on the rabbit-run And he threw away his looking-glass and saw his face in everyone Hey! The minstrel in the gallery Yes! Looked down upon the smiling faces He met the gazes Yeah! Mm, the minstrel in the gallery