Henry's Dream

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 passed beside the mission house

Where that mad old buzzard, the reverend,

Shrieked and flapped about life after your 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 hear 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 a 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 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

I had a dream

I had a dream

I had a dream, Joe

I had a dream, Joe

You were standing in the middle of an open road

I had a dream, Joe

Your hands were raised up to the sky

And your mouth was covered in foam

I had a dream, Joe

A shadowy Jesus flitted from tree to tree

I had a dream, Joe

And a society of whores stuck needles in an image of me

I had a dream, Joe

It was Autumn time and thickly fell the leaves

And in that dream, Joe

A pimp in seersucker suit sucked a toothpick

And pointed his finger at me

I had a dream,

I had a dream,

I had a dream, Joe

I opened my eyes, Joe

The night had been a giant, dribbling and pacing the boards

I opened my eyes, Joe

All your letters and cards stacked up against the door

I opened my eyes, Joe

The morning light came slowly tumbling through the crack

In the window, Joe

And I thought of you and I felt like I was lugging

A body on my back

I had a dream,

I had a dream,

I had a dream, Joe

Where did you go, Joe?

On that endless, senseless, demented drift

Where did you go, Joe?

Into the woods, into the trees, where you move and shift

Where did you go, Joe?

All dressed up in your ridiculous seersucker suit

Where did you go, Joe?

With that strew of wreckage

Forever at the heel of your boot

I had a dream

I had a dream

I had a dream, Joe

I had a dream

I had a dream

I had a dream, Joe

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 its 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

Brother, my cup is empty

And I haven't got a penny

For to buy no more whiskey

I have to go home

I am the captain of my pain

Tis the bit, the bridle,

The trashing cane

The stirrup, the harness

The whipping mane

The pickled eye

The shrinking brain

O brother, buy me one more drink

I'll explain the nature of my pain

Yes, let me tell you once again

I am the captain of my pain

O brother, my cup is empty

And I haven't got a penny

For to buy no more whiskey

I have to go home

I cannot blame it all on her

To blame her all would be a lie

For many a night I lay awake

And wished that I could watch her die

To see her accusing finger spurt

To see flies swarm her hateful eye

To watch her groaning in the dirt

To see her clicking tongue crack dry

O brother, buy me one more drink

One more drink and then goodbye

And do not mock me when I say

Let's drink one more before I die

O brother, my cup is empty

And I haven't got a penny

For to buy no more whiskey

I have to go home

Well I've been sliding down on rainbows

Well I've been swinging from the stars

Now this wretch in beggars clothing

Bangs his cup across the bars

Look, this cup of mine is empty!

Seems I've misplaced my desires

Seems I'm sweeping up the ashes

Of all my former fires

So brother, be a brother

And fill this tiny cup of mine

And please, sir, make it whiskey

For I have no head for wine

O brother, my cup is empty

And I haven't got a penny

For to buy no more whiskey

I have to go home

I counted up my blessings

And counted only one

One tiny little blessing

And now that blessings gone

So buy me one more drink, my brother

Then I'm taking to the road

Yes, I'm taking to the rain

I'm taking to the snow

O my friend, my only brother

Do not let the party grieve

So throw a dollar onto the bar

Now kiss my ass and leave

O brother, my cup is empty

And I haven't got a penny

For to buy no more whiskey

I have to go home

Christina the Astonishing

Lived a long time ago

She was stricken with a seizure

At the age of twenty-two

They took her body in a coffin

To a tiny church in Liege

Where she sprang up from the coffin

Just after the Agnus Dei

She soared up to the rafters

Perched on a beam up there

Cried "The stink of human sin

Is more that I can bear"

Christina the Astonishing

Was the most astonishing of all

She prayed balanced on a hurdle

Or curled up into a ball

She fled to remote places

Climbed towers and trees and walls

To escape the stench of human corruption

Into an oven she did crawl

O Christina the Astonishing

Behaved in a terrifying way

She would run wildly through the streets

Jump in the Meusse and swim away

O Christina the Astonishing

Behaved in terrifying manner

Died at the age of seventy-four

In the convent of St Anna

A traditional version is also available.

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 may 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

Well the night was deep and the night was dark

And I was at the old dance-hall on the edge of town

Some big ceremony was going down

Dancers writhed and squirmed and then,

Came apart and then writhed again

Like squirming flies on a pin

In the heat and in the din

Yes, in the heat and in the din

I fell to thinking about brand new wife of mad John Finn

Well, midnite came and clock did strike

And in she came, did John Finn's wife

With legs like scissors and butcher's knives

A tattooed breast and flaming eyes

And a crimson carnation in her teeth

Carving her way through the dance floor

And I'm standing over by the bandstand

Every eye gaping on John Finn's wife

Yeah, every eye gaping on John Finn's wife

Now John Finn's wife was something of a mystery

In a town where to share a sworn secret was a solemn duty

I had brass knuckles and a bolo knife

Over near the bandstand with John Finn's wife

She got perfumed breasts and raven hair

Sprinkled with wedding confettis

And a gang of garrotters were all giving me stares

Armed, as they were, with machetes

And the night through the window was full of lights

Winking and awatching at John Finns' wife

Winking and awatching at John Finns' wife

Next came the cops, all out on the town

But it don't look like no trouble there

As they head for the bar in their lumpy suits

And I slip my hand between the things of John Finn's wife

And they seemed to yawn awake, her things

It was a warm and very ferocious night

The moon full of blood and light

And my eyes grew small and my eyes grew tight

As I plotted in the ear of John Finns' wife

Enter John Finn in his shrunken suit

With his quick black eyes and black cheroot

With his filled-down teeth and a hobnail boot

And his fists full of pistols in his pockets

Aiming at me and aiming at his wife

The band fall silent fearing for their lives

And with fear in my guts like tangled twine

Cause all I got is brass knuckles and a bolo knife

And mad John Finns' wife is all

And the three of us walk out of the hall

Now the night bore down upon us all

You could hear the crickets in the thickets call

And guns did flare and guns did bawl

And I planted my bolo knife in the neck

Of mad John Finn. I took his wretched life

Now I'm over near the bandstand

Every hand moving on John Finns' wife

Every hand moving on John Finns' wife

And John Finns' wife

Took all the flowers down

From her hair

And threw them on the ground

And the flies did hum

And the flies did buzz around

Poor John Finn

Lying dead upon the ground

Lying dead upon the ground

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

I got a woman

She rules my house with an iron fist

I got a woman

She rules my house with an iron fist

She screams out Jack the Ripper

Every time I try to give that girl a kiss

I got a woman

She strikes me down with a fist of lead

I got a woman

She strikes me down with a fist of lead

We bed in a bucket of butcher's knives

A awake with a hatchet hanging over my head

Well you know the story of the viper

It's long and lean with poison tooth

Yeah, you know the story of the viper

It's long and lean with poison tooth

Well they're hissing under the floorboards

Hanging down in bunches from my roof

I got a woman

She just hollers what she wants from where she is

I got a woman

She just hollers what she wants from where she is

She screams out Jack the Ripper

Every time I try to give that girl a kiss