double face sebastian bieniek
irudia
Edward Mondrake was born with two faces. As he was born into an aristocratic family, his face was seen by many doctors. Edward used to say that at night the face around his neck would speak the devil’s language. No doctor dared to operate. Tom Waits wrote this song in his opera Alice to tell Mondrake’s story.

Poor Edward

Did you hear the news about Edward?
On the back of his head he had another face
Was it a woman’s face or a young girl?

They said to remove it would kill him
So poor Edward was doomed
The face could laugh and cry
It was his devil twin
And at night she spoke to him
Things heard only in hell.

But they were impossible to separate
Chained together for life
Finally the bell tolled his doom
He took a suite of rooms
And hung himself and her from the balcony irons
Some still believe he was freed from her.

But I knew her too well
I say she drove him to suicide
And took poor Edward to hell