Again! Pry the belly, hook and nail First with shovel, then with bone Coal and fire to the whale First with shovel, then with bone Break the lion, catch his tail First with shovel, then with bone Little lambs tied to the rail First with shovel, then with bone
Black tracks, black crows Feeding on the face of a dear abandoned boy Fighting for a taste with the flies Black chains, black spikes Hammering the steel and wounds of shit and mud Scabbing into railroad ties Four! Then twenty blackbirds fall Where metal moans and ghanti's curse Pitch and flail beneath the malls Strike the furnace, raise the hearse!
Again! Pry the belly, hook and nail First with shovel, then with bone Coal and fire to the whale First with shovel, then with bone Break the lion, catch his tail First with shovel, then with bone Little lambs tied to the rail First with shovel, then with bone
Black tongues, black breath Hissed across the faces of dear departing souls Swallowing the guilt and ink Black coal, black fridge Cutting with its teeth in ash and vein and skin Clawing through the sludge and stink Four! And twenty blackbirds fall Where metal moans and ghanti's curse Pitch and flail beneath the malls Strike the furnace, raise the hearse!
Again! Pry the belly, hook and nail First with shovel, then with bone Coal and fire to the whale First with shovel, then with bone Pry the belly, hook and nail First with shovel, then with bone Coal and fire to the whale First with shovel, now with bone
Heave on, heave on cast out your skin, fat to the feast With each crumb that's offered Another mouth springs
Surrender your wool and your kin to the beast
Heave on, heave on
Down the throat of a alle-alle-luia Spoil an empty God
Pry the belly, hook and nail, Alleluia (All children in Heaven sing) Coal and fire to the whale, Alle-luia (Born of blood and cast of wing) Break the lion, catch his tail (Alleluia Al-le-luia) First with shovel, now with bone (Al-le-luia) Little lambs tied to the rail (Always Al-le-luia) First with shovel, now with bone Pry the belly, hook and nail (Lace my vest and mend my soul, Alleluia) First with shovel, Alleluia (Find in silver stars my role, Alleluia) Coal and fire to the whale, Alleluia! HA. HA. HA. (Alleluia, Alleluia, always Alleluia) Break the lion, catch his tail (Alleluia! Alleluia!) First with shovel, now with bone! Alleluia! Alleluia! HA. HA. HALLELUJAH! Pry the belly, hook and nail! (Gates of pearl and tinsel dreams, Alleluia!) First with shovel, now with bone! (Spread and draw me to thy seams, Alleluia!) Coal and fire to the whale! (Alleluia, Alleluia!) First with shovel, now with bone! Break the lion, catch his tail! First with shovel, now with bone! (Always Alleluia!) Little lambs tied to the rail...