A Plea For Tenderness

Now girls, do you hate men?
Well, you know, sometimes you just don't talk to them
And that's sad
'Cause I can see tenderness in your faces
And innocence straight from infant days
And there must be tenderness deep inside
Oh, you're so cold, but it still shows

Well, I can take a vacant stare
Well, it's so much to say
Now, it seems a waste
But if you don't want me to know
What's going on inside
Just tell me now and I'll go

You told me about school
I only want to know about you
And I'm hungry for it now
I'm starving for it now
And now you know

But if you care about me
(Tell me now)
If I'm better than the wall
(Tell me now)
If it's important that I touch your arm at night
You'd better
Tell me now

You know, I've just read some writers now
From the old days
Because I knew, I knew that they'd understand
That's right
Because dignity and tenderness
Right, should apply (they could apply)
To modern romance, yeah

So don't tell me dear, don't tell me any words
About your school, or your homework now
I'm not going to be interested in stories
About your stupid pet cats (so, what do I care now?)
Just talk about love, or sex, or starving hearts, or just shut up
And I'll go

But

If you care about me now
(Tell me now)
If I'm better than the wall now
(Tell me now)
If it's important when I touch you're hand
(Tell me now)
If you care about being alone at all
(Tell me now)
If it hurts, to be alone in your kitchen
The way you've been staying over these past few months
(Heh, better tell me now)
If it hurts to not be honest with yourself
The way you have been the past few years (it seems)
(Then tell me now)

Because uh, I've been starving for warmth
You never give me any warmth oh
You can't hide anymore
Or take drugs
Or smoke cigarettes
Or have alcohol
Or make up all this other bullshit that you use in your life
In your life, so I can't see you clear
In your life, you know I can't see you clear, in your life
You know I can't stay this way
Stand to hurt this way
Plan to go to bed alone
And to feel the pride inside and hurt
Then to feel while you go to waste
Then to feel this way
Alone in the dark
All alone in the dark, I stand
All alone I stand
I stand in the dark outside your door
And I wait to see if I should go inside
Because it hurts when you don't talk to me
And we just pretend
That's right we just pretend
Then I won't have it anymore, never
I've had it, yeah

Because, I can't stand to be alone at night
And I can't stand to pretend to be together at night
Oh
You can't hide
Take drugs with me
Smoke cigarettes
Or alcohol
Or this other shit that you use in life
So I can't see you clear, I want to see you clear
You got to say it now
If you care about me then you'd better tell me now
Yeah, oh, oh, yeah

See dear, I know how beautiful death is
And I know why you hate life
But I'm just now, a tender soul
And be glad you know

You see
All men are just tender souls
And be glad I told you
And be glad that you know