Charlemagne

Outside this Eastown Hall

The best I can see

The rest of the night is laying

In my hand

.

All of the crows come gathering

Over the hall. Watching us all

All fucked up

.

When the fallen call and call

Call to the deaf

The fallen call: Charlemagne

When the fallen call and call

Hoarse and bereft

The fallen call: Charlemagne

.

From the fold of his only overcoat

From his powderish hand

His dark, little knife is clattering

On the ground

.

Outside this Eastown Hall

Crows hover above

I’m a soldier of love

Baby bring my sword

Come To Life No More

Feel the warming sun

After all this sounding rain

Its unwoven thread

Out here on this darkling plain

You believe and you believe

Til you can’t believe no more

I will take the train to Venice

I will sit upon the shore

.

Cannot face any face

Cannot smile a dog-eared smile

Stay and clench your eyes

Just sit here for awhile

You believe and you believe

Til you can’t believe no more

Though I hear you come knockin’

I will stand behind this door

.

There’s a hardness deep within us

It must come from beneath

From the dirt we’re standing over

From the rock under our feet

You believe and you believe

Til you can’t believe no more

I’ve sown these stones around us

But they come to life no more

All Of Heaven’s Fallin’Rain

Of all the first and early fires, out in the dew

Though I never saw soul, I knew they were tended by you

All of heaven’s falling rain is running through your heart

Run run run. Run run run.

The murderous eye of Abraham, that dark diaphanous day

Burned into his only boy, orphaned him away

.

All of heaven’s falling rain can’t bestow the grace

Of the beatings we took and we gave

I believe I have seen another world

In the gleam of this motherly night

I can see there can be no other world

All dark, all true, all right

.

Despite the endless pit you dug, your endless thrall

All the loitering lonely girls, were out in the hall

heaven’s falling rain is running through your heart

Run run run. Run run run.

The gutless prayer of Claudius, at the foot of his son

The Dane is driving all the nails, one by one

Refrain and Chorus

.

South of town were two Texas girls singing Jurame

All your Broadway romance is blisterin’ away

All of heaven’s falling rain is pounding on your car

Run run run. Run run run.

Must have been a merciful thing, face across your face

Must have been a merciful thing to leave me in this place

Refrain and Chorus

Effamira’s Tango

She smokes a cigarette in Myrtle’s black Ford

Slowly draws it in

Thinks of tuxedo shirts and gliding around

In the arms of her men, of her men

.

She feels the velvet as she rolls up her sleeve

She should be rolling into bed

She hears the rain atop Myrtle’s black Ford

Bluest river overhead, overhead

.

As the world moves along

She hears the Jersey Crawl

Out there in the wind, in the wind

But a dream is just a waste

She gets out of the car

She’s taking off her clothes

Dancing in the rain, in the rain

.

Rain is running down the bone of her neck

Soaking through her sleeve

Rain is running down the flesh of her back

Effamira’s shaken free, shaken free

.

Myrtle stays behind the wheel of her car

All of her finery is gone

She holds her key and watches her friend

In the muddy dawn, in the dawn

.

And as the world moves along

She does the Crawl

Out there in the wind, in the wind

She knows its useless to explain

It’s the end of this long night.

She gets back in the car

Thinks about the rain, about the rain

Bushmeat

Bushmeat Bushmeat

Gonna eat some meat? Munch on the hunch.

Comb through the bush? Jump on the hump.

Bite in your sight? Mare in the crosshair.

Bushmeat

Bushmeat Bushmeat

Some weight on your plate? Fish on my dish.

Gonna arrow the sparrow? Bury the canary.

Gnaw it raw? Feast on a Beest. Bushmeat

,

Monkey munch, snakebake shake

Ape suzette, fishbone maccarone

Pidgeonhole beaver-roll tar tar casserole

Woodchuck yum yum bushmeat.

Platypus stew and a noodle-ee gnu

Chicken leg, fish egg, devil dog: pureed

Cantelope, antelope, mantelope juice

Fried bat waving at the bushmeat.

,

Bushmeat bushmeat

Beating the bush? For meat in the bush.

On the trail of quail? Take shot at some squat.

See some sassy little ass? Spray on the prey.

Bushmeat

Duckshot, buckshot suckshot hole

Duckbutter buckbutter little mole pole

Quiverin’ liver an’ a slitherin’ snail

Doglog banging on the bushmeat trail

Lemur tail, zebra tail, quail tail: pull

Honey buck, blubberglove: roll boy roll

Tomcat, bobcat, eat a little pussycat

Turkey-jerky, chug chug, bushmeat

I’m Gonna Lay Down By My Side

I know that there’s no one for me

Even me

I know that that’s how it ought to be

I don’t really know just I why I do

The things I do

I’m gonna lay down by my side

I’ve got some trouble clean and bright

I’m gonna lay down by my side

.

I know the things beneath the sea

Leave to the sea

I know that that’s

Where they ought to be

I don’t really know just I why I do

The things I do

I’m gonna lay down by my side

I’ve got some trouble clean and bright

I’m gonna lay down by my side

.

I picked up a stone and felt its heft

Thought of you

Held it fast inside my hand

And thought of you

I let it linger, let it fall and it fell true

I’m gonna lay down by my side

I’ve got some trouble clean and bright

I’m gonna lay down by my side

And Your Devil is Comin’

With your face in your hair

Your face in your hair

face in your hair

You sit on your porch

Ache for your man

With your face in your hair

Devil is comin’

Devil is comin’

Devil is comin’

You sit on your porch

Ache for your man

And your devil is comin’

Devil is comin’

John Revelator

Who’s that writing? John the Revelator

Who’s that writing? John the Revelator

Who’s that writing? John the Revelator

Book of the Seven Seals

What’s John writing? About the revelation

What’s John writing? About the revelation

What’s John writing? About the revelation

Book of the Seven Seals

Now who art worthy, thousands cried holy

Bound up for some, Son of our God

Daughter of Zion, Judah the Lion

Yeah He redeem us with his blood

Chorus

John the Revelator, great advocator

Get's 'em on the battle of Zion

Tellin' the story, risin' in glory

"Lord, don't you love him some"

Chorus

Well Moses to Moses, watchin' the flock

Saw the bush where they had to stop

God told Moses, "Pull off your shoes"

Out of the flock, its you I choose

Chorus

The Crushing Gift

Like the voice of a bird in a sky full of rain

Your gifts have crushed my heart again.

For you daughters of Market Street, all brought so low,

It’s out to the sea that the river flows.

Let it flow. Let it flow.

You rule over hurt like dogs on a lion.

The eyes of a fool are mine.

I saw you all weeping. I sang the dirge slow.

It’s out to the sea that the river flows.

Let it flow. Let it flow.

The things that you say, alone in your rooms,

The secrets your mothers’ keep locked in their wombs.

Again and again, we owe, I suppose.

It’s out to the sea that the river flows.

Let it flow. Let it flow.

Whatever is left under the sun,

Whatever is left is left undone.

The river goes south, unraveling slow.

And its out to the sea that the river flows

Let it flow. Let it flow.