Jon and Nightcrawler (sans Nightcrawler) -- Encore Encore

“You’re a great crowd, thanks for being here, who wants to hear a little Elvis?

“OK, you got it!

“Is it all in that pretty little head of yours?
What goes on in that place in the dark?
Well I used to know a girl and I could have sworn
that her name was Veronica
Well she used to have a carefree mind of her own
and a delicate look in her eye
These days I’m afraid she’s not even sure if her

name is Veronica

Do you suppose, that waiting hands on eyes,
Veronica has gone to hide?
and all the time she laughs at those who shout
her name and steal her clothes.
Veronica, Veronica, Veronica

Did the days drag by? Did the favors wane?
Did he roam down the town all the while?
did you wake from your dream, with a wolf at
the door, reaching out for Veronica
Well it was all of sixty-five years ago
When the world was the street where she lived
And a young man sailed on a ship in the sea
With a picture of Veronica

On the “Empress of India”
And as she closed her eyes upon the world and
picked upon the bones of last week’s news
She spoke his name out loud again

Do you suppose, that waiting hands on eyes,
Veronica has gone to hide?
and all the time she laughs at those who shout

her name and steal her clothes.
Veronica, Veronica, Veronica

Veronica sits in her favorite chair
she sits very quiet and still
when they called her a name that they never get right
and that they’ll know nobody else will

well she used to have a carefree mind of her own
with a devilish look in her eye
saying you can call me anything you like
but my name is Veronica

Do you suppose, that waiting hands on eyes,
Veronica has gone to hide?
and all the time she laughs at those who shout

her name and steal her clothes.
Veronica, Veronica, Veronica

“Thank you, thank you, you’re a great crowd. Hey, I said Elvis, I didn’t say which Elvis!”

“Well I bless my soul
What’ wrong with me?
I’m itching like a man on a fuzzy tree
My friends say I’m actin’ wild as a bug
I’m in love
I’m all shook up
Mm mm oh, oh, yeah, yeah!

My hands are shaky and my knees are weak
I can’t seem to stand on my own two feet
Who do you thank when you have such luck?
I’m in love
I’m all shook up
Mm mm oh, oh, yeah, yeah!

Please don’t ask me what’s on my mind
I’m a little mixed up, but I’m feelin’ fine
When I’m near that girl that I love best
My heart beats so it scares me to death!

She touched my hand what a chill I got
Her lips are like a vulcano that’s hot
I’m proud to say she’s my buttercup
I’m in love
I’m all shook up
Mm mm oh, oh, yeah, yeah!

My tongue get tied when I try to speak
My insides shake like a leaf on a tree
There’s only one cure for this body of mine
That’s to have the girl that I love so fine!

“Yeah! Isn’t that something? Thank you everybody, don’t forget to tip your waitresses, they’re working hard to night!

“There’s a pulse in the new-born sun
A beat in the heat of the noon
There’s a song as the day grows long
And a tempo in the tides of the moon
It’s all around us and it’s everywhere
And it’s deeper than royal blue
And it feels so real you can feel the feeling

And that’s the majesty of rock
The fantasy of roll
The ticking of the clock
The wailing of the soul
The prisoner in the dock
The digger in the hole
We’re in this together...and ever...

In the shade of a jungle glade
Or the rush of the crushing street
On the plain, on the foamy main
You can never escape from the beat
It’s in the mud and it’s in your blood
And its conquest is complete
And all that you can do is just surrender

To the majesty of rock
The pageantry of roll
The crowing of the cock
The running of the foal
The shepherd with his flock
The miner with his coal
We’re in this together...and ever...

When we die, do we hunt the sky?
Do we lurk in the murk of the seas?
What then? Are we born again?
Just to sit asking questions like these?
I know, for I told me so
And I’m sure each of you quite agrees
The more it stays the same, the less it changes

And that’s the majesty of rock
The mystery of roll
The darning of the sock
The scoring of the goal
The farmer takes a wife
The barber takes a pole
We’re in this together...and ever...

“Thank you everybody, I’m going to take a little break. Enjoy your stay here at Ceasar’s!”

“We sure are enjoying your show tonight.” A friendly lady stepped towards me accompanied by her husband.

“Well thank you, thank you ver’ much,” I answered with a grin. “I’m glad you’re enjoying your vacation here.”

“Oh yes,” she said. “And we’ve been big fans of yours for a long time.”

“Really?” I replied. “I’m kind of surprised.”

“We’re so happy that you finally ended up with Carrie at the end,” she continued.

“I’m not sure that I know what you’re talking about,” I answered.

“And I really like the show you’re on now,” the husband said enthusiastically. “Doris here isn’t that big of a fan of it, though.”

“Oh, I like you in it,” she amended. “I just don’t like all that killing and stuff. I’m glad you always catch the killer at the end, though.”

“I think you’ve got me confused with—”

“And when did you grow that goatee?” Doris asked. “You look like such a handsome young man without it.”

“This?” I scratched my beard. “I’ve had it for five or so years now.”

“You don’t say,” Doris answered. “Ed, do you have your camera? I want a picture of us next to him. Can we get a picture?”

“Sure,” I said.

“You don’t seem quite as big as on the TV,” Ed said while fishing for his camera.

“Well as they say, TV adds ten pounds,” I answered. “Wait a minute. You’ve got me confused with someone else.”

“And I didn’t realize that you were such an entertainer,” Doris said. “You should sing here all the time. You’re much better than that Sinatra impersonator at New York New York.”

“Thank you, but I really think you’ve gotten me confused with someone else.”

Ed took a picture of his wife and me standing together.

“Aren’t you that Mr. Big guy?” Doris asked.

“No,” I answered. “Like the sign says, I’m Jon the Intergalactic Gladiator.”

“Jon the what?” Doris stepped back surprised.

“Intergalactic what?” Ed added.

“Oh, you think I’m actor Chris Noth,” I said, finally putting together who they thought I was. “No, sorry, you’ve got the wrong guy.”

“Oh well,” Doris sounded miffed. “Maybe we can still catch that show at the Flamingo.”

“That’s the thing about Vegas,” Ed said as he escorted his wife away. “Nothing around here is for real.”