A Gentle Man's Jihad

I walk around on these rooftops of your Denver town,
Tryin' to take the same view as you all, always lookin' down.
And up on these roofs I put my ear westward and I hear,
"We gotta take him down."
Well that's not polite to listen in. I suppose I'm not a gentleman.
You us'ta want me, you used to need me, but now you only want them gentlemen.

Ladies of Denver town, one and all gather 'round;
We will take the gentlemen and dress them down.
Ladies of Denver town, one and all gather 'round;
We will take the gentlemen and dress them down.

Still up on these rooftops, I do my best to cross over.
At the six hundreds, to the five hundreds, and the four hundreds,
I might be one of them.
On the roof of the 404, this lady of Denver
Speaking sweeter than the Lord.
It makes this weak, weak man, she makes me weep, weep...oh man.
Then Nonny swings her head out the door,
Says "don't you make a flood on my roof, your floor.
"You'll never be as slim as Slim; you ain't actin' like a gentleman."

Ladies of Denver town, one and all gather 'round,
We will take the gentlemen and dress them down.
Ladies of Denver town, one and all gather 'round;
We will take the gentlemen and dress them down.
Dress them down,
Dress them down,
Dress them down,
Dress 'em down, girls.

And I have claimed your rooftops, all for myself,
But there's another one up here (just like he said); it's creepin' about.
See I pitch, dive, and leap over to him; I see it ain't a gentleman
(it's a woman).
And I ask, "what you doin' rippin' up the roofs of my friends?"
She says, "I'm taking up all these roofs so on us you can no longer look down."
Then with that shaker in her hand she swings it to bring me down.
I get a skin on skin hold to fight her sin. My friends' roofs I will defend.
Then David, Frank, Junior, JP, and Slim,
Shakin' their heads and witnessin' my sin.
Sayin', "boy you've got presumptive ways to walk our rooftops in defend.
"You've got one-eyed intentions, your timin' was wrong,
"You'll never be a gentleman."
"No gentleman
"No gentleman."
(etc)

I set myself to this--to fight a constant war--you claim it is holy--I claim that it's the law.