 noseless old newsboy, the old British brigadier, etc.
Hello,
I have a necessity to translate some Rolling Stones lyrics into Russian. Several question appeared during translation the song "Who's Been Sleeping Here". Could someone help please? Well, sometimes it happens that not only the knowledge of the language itself one needs while translating but knowing some realia...
Below is the whole text, the phrases typed in bold are not clear. Of course, such characters as Goldilocks or Three Musketeers are world-wide known; the painting "Laughing Cavalier" doesn't say much to an average Russian speaker although the information about it can be easily found; but what about the rest marked in bold? Could you make it clear? how a native English speaker understands these?
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What you say girl, you see what is wrong.
You must be joking, you was led along.
But the butler, the baker, the laughing cavalier,
will tell me now, who's been sleeping here.
I want to know tell me, baby, who's been sleeping here!
What you say girl, who'd you see that night.
I was doing, doing something right.
Oh, the soldier, the sailor then there's the three musketeers,
yes, they'll now tell me now, who's been sleeping here.
Did I ever tell you I want to know, hey baby, who's been sleeping here!
Don't you look like, like a goldilocks.
There must be somewhere, somewhere you can stop.
Yes there's the noseless old newsboy the old British brigadier,
but you'll tell me now, who's been sleeping here!
Who's been eating, eating off my plate.
Who will tell me, who'll investigate.
There's the sergeants the soldiers the cruel old grenadiers,
but they'll tell me, now, who's been sleeping here!
'Cause I want to know who's been sleeping right here.
Was it your mummy, your daddy, who's been sleeping here?
Was it your auntie, your uncle, who's been sleeping here?
Was it your boyfriend, your girlfriend, who's been sleeping here?
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Thank you for your attention!  | 
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