Friendly fire

An inspirational tirade against me
How to explain my life?
Girls to the left of me
Boys to the right of me
Neither husband nor wife
Though the days are filled with pain
There is no one who'll explain
Why I'm coming under friendly fire
Shot in the fatal cause of rock-and-roll
But there's no one
Really no one
To say

Why I endure under force majeure
Slander without shame or tact?
I, who studied make-up
Mime and Buddha who taught two generations to react
About me
The critics lied I ignored them and survived
In spite of coming under friendly fire
Shot in the fatal cause of rock-and-roll
But there's nothing, really nothing to deny
When I look back my eyes are filled with tears
Danger to mascara

Applause to my peers
When fame sustained me and arenas acclaimed me
I floated through life on a cloud
Of love and insanity
And pagan profanity
Before a worshipping crowd
Now my status is ill-defined
As an icon I'm inclined to be
Coming under friendly fire
Shot in the fatal cause of rock-and-roll
But whatever dull or clever points they've scored
I have never, oh no never
Been ignored