Lyrics

Angels to the left of me, angels to the right
Devil's in the middle with enormous appetite
You've got to choose your moment carefully to make it come out right
But even then misunderstanding makes you take another bite
The apple makes you crazy, but the mango makes you wise
It's a subtropical dilemma
In an imperfect paradise

Angel was a love of mine, she keeps me on my guard
She offers her advice to me, she really tries so hard
She wants to have my baby, she wants to make me fit
Sometimes survival of the witless is the best that you can get
If she only had an apple she could tranquilize her tongue
But if she only had a mango
That girl could never stay so young

The devil was a friend of mine
He sang a soulful tune
I met him on the subway every Friday afternoon
One time he caught me on the basepath, running out an infield fly
One time he bought me some insurance, said he'll cash it if I die
He offered me some candy, some coffee and cocaine
But if he only had a mango
This boy would never be the same

The laboratory manager in charge of making clones
Distracted by the cablegrams and all the telephones
She left the cage door open, she left the music on
Now her special subjects started reproducing on their own
The experiment is ruined; they're liberated now
The apple and the mango come and take another bow
The apple makes you holy, but the mango makes you wise
It's that subtropical dilemma
In this imperfect paradise

Out on the tropical savanna on a Christmas afternoon
Searching for the garden where the mango's still in bloom
You know you reconsider slowly because the evening is so hot
Then you settle for an apple; it's all your guide has got
You say you wish you had more choices -- well baby don't we all
But by fall you're feeling fortunate for finding any fruit at all
The apple makes a wager, the mango makes a call
The raise each other carefully, they end it in a draw
It's special kind of knowledge, a special kind of life
You've got that green and yellow bridegroom for your green and crimson wife
You can get yourself an apple, you can try it on for size
Or you can trade it for a mango
Because the mango makes you wise
The apple makes you crazy, but the mango makes you wise
It's a subtropical dilemma
In an imperfect paradise