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Tender Prey |
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Tender Prey |
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It began when they come to took me from my home
And put me in Dead Row,
Of which I am nearly wholly innocent, you know.
And I'll say it again
I.. am.. not.. afraid.. to.. die
I began to warm and chill
To objects and their fields,
A ragged cup, a twisted mop
The face of Jesus in my soup
Those sinister dinner meals
The meal trolley's wicked wheels
A hooked bone rising from my food
All things either good or ungood.
And the mercy seat is waiting
And I think my head is burning
And in a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this measuring of truth.
An eye for an eye
A tooth for a tooth
And anyway I told the truth
And I'm not afraid to die.
Interpret signs and catalogue
A blackeed tooth, a scarlet fog.
The walls are bad. Black. Bottom kind.
They are the sick breath at my hind
They are the sick breath at my hind
They are the sick breath at my hind
They are the sick breath gathering at my hind
I hear stories from the chamber
How Christ was born into a manger
And like some ragged stranger
Died upon the cross
And might I say it seems so fitting in its way
He was a carpenter by trade
Or at least that's what I'm told.
Like my good hand I
tatooed E.V.I.L. across it's brother's fist
That filthy five! They did nothing to challenge or resist.
In Heaven His thorne is made of gold
The ark of His testament is stowed
A throne from which I'm told
All history does unfold.
Down here it's made of wood and wire
And my body is on fire
And God is never far away.
Into the mercy seat I climb
My head is shaved, my head is wired
And like a moth that tried
To enter the bright eye
I go shuffling out of life
Just to hide in death awhile
And awnyway I never lied.
My kill-hand is called E.V.I.L.
Wears a wedding band that's G.O.O.D.
'Tis a long-suffering shackle
Collaring all that revel blood.
And the mercy seat is waiting
And I think my head is burning
And in a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this measuring of truth.
And eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
And anyway I told the truth
And I'm not afraid to die.
And the mercy seat is burning
And I think my head is glowing
And in a way I'm hoping
To be done with all this weighing up of truth.
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
And I've got nothing left to lose
And I'm not afraid to die.
And the mercy seat is glowing
And I think my head is smoking
And in a way I'm hoping
To be done with all these looks of disbelief.
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
And anyway there was no proof
Nor a motive why.
And the mercy seat is smoking
And I think my head is melting
And in a way I'm helping
To be done with all this twisting of the truth.
A lie for a lie
And a truth for a truth
And I've got nothing left to lose
And I'm not afraid to die.
And the mercy seat is melting
And I think my head is boiling
And in a way I'm spoiling
All the fun with all this truth and consequence.
An eye for an eye
And a truth for a truth
And anyway I told the truth
And I'm not afraid to die.
And the mercy seat is waiting
And I think my head is burning
And in a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this measuring of proof.
A life for a life
And a truth for a truth
And anyway there was no proof
But I'm not afraid to tell a lie.
And the mercy seat is waiting
And I think my head is burning
And in a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this measuring of truth,
An eye for an eye
And a truth for a truth
And anyway I told the truth
But I'm afraid I told a lie.
O My O My
What a wretched life
I was born on the day
That my poor mother died
I was cut form her belly
With a stanley knife
My Daddy did a jig
With a drunk midwife
Who's that yonder all in flames
Dragging behind him a sack of chains
Who's that yonder all in flames
Up jumped the Devil and he staked his claim
O poor heart
I was doomed from the start
Doomed to play
The villains part
I was the baddest Johnny
In the apple cart
My blood was blacker
Than the chamber of a dead nun's heart
Who's that milling on the courthouse steps
Nailing my face to the hitching fence
Who's that milling on the courthouse steps
Up jumpeed the Devil and off he crept
O no O no
Where could I go
With my hump of trouble
And my sack of woe
To the digs and deserts of Mexico
Where my neck was safe form the lynching rope
Who's that yonder laughing at me
Like I was the brunt of some hilarity
Who's that yonder laughing at me
Up jumped the devil 1, 2, 3
Ha-ha Ha-Ha
How lucky we were
We hit the cathouse
And sampled their whares
We got as drunk
As a couple of Czars
One night I spat out
My lucky stars
Who's that dancing on the jailhouse roof
Stamping on the ramping with a cloven hoof
Who's that dancing on the jailhouse roof
Up jumped the Devil and said "Here is your man and I got the proof"
O no don't go O no
O slow down Joe
The righteous part
Is straight as an arrow
Take a walk
And you'll find it too narrow
Too narrow for the likes of me
Who's that hanging form the gallow tree
His eyes are hollow but he looks like me
Who's that swinging from the gallow tree
Up jumped the Devil and took my soul from me
Down we go Down we go Down we go
The Devil and me Down we go down down down
Hell fire and flames Down we go Down we go
To Eternity Down we go We go down down down
Down we go we go down down down
Down we go the devil and me to Eternity
We go down down down down down ad inferno
O DEANNA
O Deanna!
O DEANNA
Sweet Deanna!
O DEANNA
You know you are my friend, yeah
O DEANNA
And I ain't down here for your money
I ain't down here for your love
I ain't down here for your love or money
I'm down here for your soul
No carpet on the floor
And the winding-cloth holds many moths
Around your Ku Klux furniture
I cum a deaths-head in your frock
We discuss the murder pact
We discuss murder and the murder act
Murder takes the wheel of the Cadillac
And death climbs in the back
O DEANNA
This is a car
O DEANNA
This is a gun
O DEANNA
And this a day number one
O DEANNA
Our little crimeworn histories
Black and smoking Xmas trees
And honey, it ain't a mystery
Why you're a mystery to me
We will eat out of their pantries
And their parlours
Ashy leavings in their beds
And we'll unload into their heads
On this mean season
This little angel that I squeezin'
She ain't been mean to me
O DEANNA
O Deanna!
O DEANNA
You are my friend and my partner
O DEANNA
On this house on the hill
O DEANNA
And I ain't down here for your money
I ain't down here for you love
I ain't down here for your love or money
I'm down here for your soul
O DEANNA
I am a-knocking
O DEANNA
With my toolbox and my stocking
O DEANNA
And i'll meet you on the corner
O DEANNA
Yes, you ponit it like a finger
O DEANNA
And squeeze its little thing
O DEANNA
Feel its kick, hear it bang
And lets not worry about its issue
Don't worry about where its been
and don't worry about where it hits
Cause it just ain't yours to sin
O DEANNA
No it just ain't yours to sin
O DEANNA
Sweet Deanna
O DEANNA
And we ain't getting any younger
O DEANNA
And I don't intend gettin' any older
O DEANNA
The sun a hump at my shoulder
O DEANNA
O Deanna!
O DEANNA
Sweet Deanna
O DEANNA
And I ain't down here for your money
I ain't down here for your love
I ain't down here for your love of money
I'm down here for your soul
Alice wakes
It is morning
She is yawning
As she walks about the room
Her hair falls down her breast
She is naked and it is June
Standing at the window
I wonder if she knows that I can see
Watching Alice rise year after year
Up in her palace, she's captive there
Alice's body
Is golden brown
Her hair hangs down
As she stoops to conquer me
First she pulls her stocking on
And then the church bell chimes
Alice climbs into her uniform
The zippers on the side
Watching Alice dressing in her room
It's so depressing, it's cruel
Watching Alice dressing in her room
It's so depressing, it's true
I stood in the water
In the middle month of winter
My camel skin was torture
I was in a state of nature
The wind, sir, it was wicked
I was so alone
Just as I predicted
My followers were gone
And I cried 'Mercy'
Have mercy upon me
And I got down on my knees
Thrown into a dungeon
Bread and water was my portion
Faith - my only weapon
To rest the devil's legion
The speak-hole would slide open
A viper's voice would plead
Thick with innuendo
Syphillis and Greed
And she cried 'Mercy'
Have mercy on me
And I told her to get down on her knees
In a garden full of roses
My hands, tied behind me
My cousin was working miracles
I wondered if he'd find me
The moon was turned toward me
Like a platter made of gold
My death, it almost bored me
So often was it told
And I cried 'Mercy'
I cried mercy on me
Crying 'Mercy'
Have mercy on me
You better run You better run and run and run
You better run You better run
You better run to the City of Refuge
You better run You better run
You better run to the City of Refuge
You stand before your maker
In a state of shame
Because your robes are covered in mud While you kneel at the feet
Of a woman of the street
The gutters will run with blood
They will run with blood!
You better run, you better run
You better run to the City of Refuge
You better run, you better run
You better run to the City of Refuge
In the days of madness
My brother, my sister
When you're dragged toward the Hell-mouth
You will beg for the end
But there ain't gonna be one, friend
For the grave will spew you out
It will spew you out!
You better run, you better run
You better run to the City of Refuge
You better run, you better run
You better run to the City of Refuge
You'll be working in the darkness
Against your fellow man
And you'll find you're called to come forth
So you'll scrub and you'll scrub
But the trouble is, bud
The blood it won't wash off
No, it won't come off!
You better run, you better run
You better run to the City of Refuge
You better run, you better run
You better run and run and run
You better run to the City of Refuge
Lover, lover, goodbye
So slowly goes the night
I trace the print of your body with my hand
Like the map of some forbidden land
I trace the ghosts of your bones
With my trembling hand
Dark is my night
But darker is my day yeah
I must've been blind
Out of my mind
Not to read the warning signs
How goes it?
It goes lonely
Goes slwoly
So slowly goes the night
Ten lonely days, ten lonely nights
I watch the moon get flayed anew
Until the moon becomes the skinning tool
I send the skins of my sins out to cover and comfort you
I know of a Heaven
And honey I know of a Hell yeah
I hang my head
In my bed
And remember what you said
"One evening, I'm leaving"
An I laughed and checked the breathing
And said darling
Go slowly through the night
O baby, I feel the heal of time
I wake to find you sitting there
Cutting tangles out of your hair
Singing a song that's all wrong
Hey, but that's alright, I don't care
O darling forgive me
For all the misery yeah
I embrace an empty space
And your laughing song it fades
Where goes it?
It goes some place
Where it's lonely
And black as the night
Come back, darling and put things right
I hang my head and cry cry cry
Darling, all night I try
To cease on a reason for this mad mad season
The nights, they are so long now
I can't remember it being light
Call it sleep, call it death, call it what you like
But only sleep, dear
Only sleep brings you back to life yeah
I hang my head
I toss and I sweat
I never never can forget
How goes it?
I'm going, but slowly slowly going
And we both know that its gonna be alright
But it ain't you who has to cry cry ry
Ten lonely days, ten lonely nights
Since you left my side side side
Sunday's got a slave
Monday's got one too
Sunday's got a slave
Monday's got one too
Our sufferings are countless
Our pleasures are a motley few
Spend all day digging my grave
Now go get Sunday's slave
Tuesday sleeps in the stable
Wednesday's in chains
Tuesday gathers up the crumbs under the table
Wednesday dare not complain
My heart has collapsed on the tracks of a run-a-way train
Just whisper his name
And here comes Sunday's slave
The hands in the stable are willing and able to pay
If you feel at loss, man, just who is the boss-man
Ask the blood on one of its bad days
For his nerve is to serve but the service is a mockery
He insists that he piss in your fist
But he still takes the money anyway
The master's a bastard
But don't tell Sunday's slave
Thursday's angered the master
O.K. so Friday's gonna pay
Thursday's angered the master
Yeah, so Friday's gonna pay
One night on the rack and he's back saddling up Saturday
You can only whisper his name
But not on Sundays Never on Sundays
O Not on Sunday's slave
Sugar Sugar Sugar
That man is bad
The road he drives you down
O sugar its a drag
That road it twists
That road is crossed
Its down that road
A lot of little girls go lost
Sugar sugar sugar
Keep on driving on
Until the City of right
Becomes the City of wrong
That stretch is long
You'll slip and slide
That stretch will find you
Gagged and tied
The hunter lies
In a lowly ditch
His eyes they sting
And his fingers twitch
You'll be his queen for the night
But in the morning you'll wake
With the Lords and high ladies
Of the botton of the lake
Sugar sugar sugar
That man is wild
And sugar, you know
That you're merely a child
He will laugh
And hang your sheets to see
The tokens of your virginity
Sugar sugar sugar
Honey you're so sweet
And beside you baby
Nothing can compete
Sugar sugar sugar
Honey your so sweet
But beside your baby
A bad man sleeps
You better pray baby
Pray baby, pray baby
You better pray
You better pray, baby
Pray, baby, pray baby
You better pray baby
Sugar sugar sugar
That man is bad
And that's the bottom baby
Coming right up ahead
You can semell his fear
You can smell his love
As he wipes his mouth
On your altar cloth
Sugar sugar sugar
Try to understand
I'm an angel of God
I'm your guardian
He smells your innoncence
And like a dog he comes
And like all the dogs he is
I shut him down
Sugar sugar sugar
I can't explain
Must I kill that cocksucker
Everyday
You better pray baby, pray baby, pray baby
You better pray your daddy he ain't far away
You better pray baby pray baby pray baby
You better pray your daddy's come to take you away
You better pray baby, pray baby, pray baby
You better pray o tender prey baby tender prey
You better pray tender prey baby tender prey
One morn I awakened
A new sun was shining
The sky was a Kingdom
All covered in blood
The moons and the stars
Where the troops that lay conquered
Like fruit left to wither
Poor spiritual food
And the spears of the bright sun
All brave with its conquest
Did hover unearthly
In banners of fire
I knelt in the garden
Awash with the dawning
And a voice came so brightly
I covered my eyes
Thank you for giving
This bright new morning
So steeped seemed the evening
In darkness and blood
There'll be no sadness
There'll be no sorrow
There'll be no road too narrow
There'll be a new day
And it's today
For us
