Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Papa Won't Leave You, Henry

I went out walking the other day

The wind hung wet around my neck

My head it rung with screams and groans

From the night I spent amongst her bones

I past beside the mission house

Where that mad old buzzard, the reverend,

Shrieked and flapped about life after you’re dead

Well, I thought about my friend, Michel

How they rolled him in linoleum

And shot him in the neck

A bloody halo, like a think-bubble

Circling his head

And I bellowed at the firmament

Looks like the rains are here to stay

And the rain pissed down upon me

And washed me all away

Saying

Papa won’t leave you, Henry

Papa won’t leave you, Boy

Papa won’t leave you, Henry

Papa won’t leave you, Boy

Well, the road is long

And the road is hard

And many fall by the side

But Papa won’t leave you, Henry

So there ain’t no need to cry

And I went on down the road

He went on down the road

And I went on down the road

He went on down the road

Well, the moon it looked exhausted

Like something you should pity

Spent an age-spotted

Above the sizzling wires of the city

Well, it reminded me of her face

Her bleached and hungry eyes

Her hair was like a curtain

Falling open with the laughter

And closing with the lies

But the ghost of her still lingers on

Though she’s passed through me

And is gone

The slum dogs, they are barking

And the rain children on the streets

And the tears that we will weep today

Will all be washed away

By the tears that we will weep again tomorrow

Papa won’t leave you, Henry

Papa won’t leave you, Boy

Papa won’t leave you, Henry

Papa won’t leave you, Boy

For the road is long

And the road is hard

And many fall by the side

But Papa won’t leave you, Henry

So there ain’t no need to cry

And I went on down the road

He went on down the road

And I went on down the road

He went on down the road

And I came upon a little house

A little house upon a hill

And I entered through, the curtain hissed

Into the house with its blood-red bowels

Where wet-lipped women with greasy fists

Crawled the ceilings and the walls

They filled me full of drink

And led me round the rooms

Naked and cold and grinning

Until everything went black

And I came down spinning

I awoke so drunk and full of rage

That I could hardly speak

A fag in a whale-bone corset

Draping his dick across my cheek

And its into the shame

And its into the guilt

And its into the fucking fray

And the walls ran red around me

A warm arterial spray

Saying

Papa won’t leave you, Henry

Papa won’t leave you, Boy

Papa won’t leave you, Henry

Papa won’t leave you, Boy

Well, the night is dark

And the night is deep

And its jaws are open wide

But Papa won’t leave you, Henry

So there ain’t no need to cry

And I went on down the road

He went on down the road

And I went on down the road

He went on down the road

It’s the rainy season where I’m living

Death comes leaping out of every doorway

Wasting you for your money, for your clothes

And for your nothing

Entire towns being washed away

Favelas exploding on inflammable spillways

Lynch-mobs, death squads, babies being born without brains

The mad heat and the relentless rains

And if you stick your arm into that hole

It comes out sheared off to the bone

And with her kisses bubbling on my lips

I swiped the rain and nearly missed

And I went on down the road

He went on down the road

Singing

Papa won’t leave you, Henry

Papa won’t leave you, Boy

Papa won’t leave you, Henry

Papa won’t leave you, Boy

Well, the road is long

And the road is hard

And many fall by the side

But Papa won’t leave you, Henry

So there ain’t no need to cry

And I went on down the road

He went on down the road

And I went on down the road

He went on down the road

Bent beneath my heavy load

Under his heavy load

Yeah, I went on down the road

Yeah, he went on down the road

Woah, woah

Woah, woah

Woah, woah

Woah, woah

And I went on down that road

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - When I First Came to Town

When I first came to town
All the people gathered round
They bought me drinks
Lord, how they quickly changed their tune

When I first came to town
People took me round from end to end
Like someone make take round a friend
O how quickly they changed their tune

Suspicion and dark murmurs surround me
Everywhere I go they confound me
As though the blood on my hands
Is there for every citizen to see

O sweet Jesus
There is no turning back
There is always one more town
A little further down the track

And from my window, across the tracks
I watch the juicers burn their fires
And in that light
Their faces leer at me
How I wish they’d just let me be

When I first came to town
Their favours were for free
Now even the doors of the whores of this town
Are closed to me

I search the mirror
And I try to see
Why the people of this town
Have washed their hands of me

O sweet Jesus
There is no turning back
There is always one more town
A little further down the track

O Lord, every god-damn turn I take
I fear the noose, I fear the stake
For there is no bone
They did not break
In all the towns I’ve been before

Well those that sin against  me are snuffed out
I know from every day that I live
God-damn the day that I was born
The night that forced me from the womb
And god-damn this town
For I am leaving now
But one day I will return
And the people of this town will surely see
Just how quickly the tables turn

O sweet Jesus
This really is the end
There is always one more town
A little further round the end

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Loom Of The Land

It was the dirty end of winter
Along the loom of the land
When I walked with sweet Sally
Hand upon hand

And the wind it bit bitter
For a boy of no means
With no shoes on his feet
And a knife in his jeans

Along the loom of the land
The mission bells peeled
From the tower at Saint Mary's
Down to Reprobate Fields

And I saw that the world
Was all blessed and bright
And Sally breathed softly
In the majestic night

O baby please don't cry
And try to keep
Your little hand upon my shoulder
Now go to sleep

The elms and the poplars
Were turning their backs
Past the rumbling station
We followed the tracks

We found an untrodden path
And followed it down
The moon in the sky
Like a dislodged crown

My hands they burned
In the folds of her coat
Breathing milky white air
From deep in her throat

O baby please don't cry
And try to keep
Your little head upon my shoulder
Now go to sleep

I told Sally in whispers
I'll never bring you harm
Her breast it was small
And warm in my palm

I told her the moon
Was a magical thing
That it shone gold in winter
And silver in spring

And we walked and walked
Across the endless sands
Just me and my Sally
Along the loom of the land

O baby please don't cry
And try to keep
Your little head upon my shoulder
Now go to sleep

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Straight To You

All the towers of ivory are crumbling
And the swallows have sharpened their beaks
This is the time of our great undoing
This is the time that I'll come running
Straight to you
For I am captured
Straight to you
For I am captured
One more time

The light in our window is fading
The candle gutters on the ledge
Well now sorrow, it comes a-stealing
And I'll cry, girl, but I'll come a-running
Straight to you
For I am captured
Straight to you
For I am captured
Once again

Gone are the days of rainbows
Gone are the nights of swinging from the stars
For the sea will swallow up the mountains
And the sky will throw thunder-bolts and sparks
Straight at you
But I'll come a-running
Straight to you
But I'll come a-running
One more time

Heaven has denied us it's kingdom
The saints are drunk howling at the moon
The chariots of angels are colliding
Well, I'll run, babe, but I'll come running
Straight to you
For I am captured
Straight to you
For I am captured
One more time