I was walking far from home
Where the names were not burned along the wall
Saw a building, high as heaven
But the door was so small, door was so small
I saw rainclouds, little babies
And a bridge that had tumbled to the ground
I saw sinners making music
And I dreamt of that sound, dreamt of that sound
I was walking far from home
But I carried your letters all the while
I saw lovers in a window
Whisper want me like time, want me like time
I saw sickness bloom in fruit trees
I saw blood and a bit of it was mine
I saw children in a river
But their lips were still dry, lips were still dry
I was walking far from home
And I found your face mingled in the crowd
Saw a boat-full of believers
Sail off talking too loud, talking too loud
I saw sunlight on the water
Saw a bird fall like a hammer from the sky
An old woman on a speed train
She was closing her eyes, closing her eyes
I saw flowers on a hillside
And a millionaire pissing on the lawn
Saw a prisoner take a pistol
And say join me in song, join me in song
Saw a car crash in the country
Where the prayers run like weeds along the road
I saw strangers stealing kisses
Giving only their clothes, only their clothes
Saw a white dog chase it's tail
And a pair of hearts carved into a stone
I saw kindness and an angel
Crying "take me back home, take me back home"
Saw a highway, saw an ocean
I saw widows in the temple to the Lord
Naked dancers in the city
How they spoke for us all, spoke for us all
I saw loaded linen tables
And a motherless colt then it was gone
I saw hungry brothers waiting
With the radio on, radio on
I was walking far from home
Where the names were not burned along the wall
Saw a wet road form a circle
And it came like a call, came like a call from the Lord
I knew you well, I know you best
A baby mouth, and I the breast
A lazy bone, an eagle eye
Circling a city that's higher than the sky
And it's looking like you better do what they say
Those monkeys uptown, they told you not to fuck around
Heavens the name and river is brown
With all the mud and the rain
It never settles down
It never settles down
Your baby left you unimpressed
But no one likes a beggar, slightly overdressed
And trouble comes in funky clothes
You can always find a razor lying on the road.
And it's looking like you better do what they say
Those monkeys uptown, they told you not to fuck around
Heavens the name and river is brown
With all the mud and the rain
It never settles down
It never settles down
I knew you well, I know you best
Everybody owes something to everybody else
Gabrielle gave me some news to give to you:
"Never take him for granted, you've nothing better to do"
And it's looking like you better do what they say
Those monkeys uptown, they told you not to fuck around
Heavens the name and river is brown
With all the mud and the rain
It never settles down.
Last I saw mother she rose from a chair
When they caught me I'd just finished combing my hair
'Cause a rabbit will run, as a colt does along with the mare
We've all learned the earth while we carried the throne
We dove under the rivers and under our clothes
Now I still have a prayer, as sure as my settling bones
Last I saw mother she covered my ears
When they caught me I offered the captain a beer
'Cause a rabbit will run, and a lion has nothing to fear
We bricked up the garden and oh, what it means
And we've all kissed a virgin as if she were clean
And I still have a prayer, despite all the colors I've seen
And judgment is just like a cup that we share
I'll jump over the wall and I'll wait for you there
Well past the weeds and our vision of things to come
We've all heard the rooster and all been denied
And we've seen through the haze and the spit in our eyes
And I still have a prayer, a well-weathered word to the wise
Last I saw mother she smelled like a rose
When they caught me the captain, he opened my nose
'Cause a rabbit will run, and the wind takes a bird where it blows
We all traded lovers and woke up alone
And we clapped for the king, though our fingers were cold
And I still have a prayer, because I love what I cannot control
Last I saw mother, she acted surprised
When they caught me the captain, he cried like a child
'Cause a rabbit will run, and good dogs together go wild
We all live in grace at the end of the day
And we've armed all the children we thought we'd betrayed
And I still have a prayer, but too few occasions to pray
And judgment is just like a cup that we share
I'll jump over the wall and I'll wait for you there
Well past the weeds and our visions of things to come
And we've all found a reason for hiding the gun
And we've helped out a few if we've hurt anyone
And I still have a prayer and so be it, I've done what I've done
Last I saw mother, she blew me a kiss
When they caught me the cups caught the blood from my wrist
'Cause a rabbit will run, and a pig has to lay in it's piss
We've all given half to the hand in our face
We've all taken a stone from the holiest place
And I still have a prayer, and I've furthered the world in my wake
When the arrogant goddess of love came to steal my shoes
She had a white-hot pistol and a noname hard tattoo
Saying one's to give
And one's to take away
But neither of them will keep you off your knees
The children bowed and bolted off the stage
While the lion and the lamb kept fighting for the shade tree
And the ransom God of war came to set me free
He had a couple of cold bottles full of gasoline
Saying all I love is all that I allow
You blew me a kiss of a big burned hand
Get each up with smoke and fell down
While the lion and the lamb kept shooting at a tin can
When the gun-shy goddess of love came back to patch things up
She had a purple heart and mother's milk in a plastic cup
Saying he loves to lay you gently in the grave
He loves the flag you fold before you go
When the curtain rolls the crowd is blown away
While the lion and the lamb kept fucking in the back road
I've become a glad man singing a song
About a soldier on a good and a fallen angel
Naked as a fish and a high
About a sad man climbed up a willow bough
And the cops are on the fence around a dog in the manger
And the mouth of the river is wide
Wide...
I've become a glad man singing a song
By the bushes, by the gas pump
Gon' the flower and a constant star collides
About a sad man singing they forgotten how
And the baby quick sucking when the milk went sour
And the mouth of the river is wide
Wide...
About a sad man lost in the hammock sway
When the bridal gown came on and spit out the window
And the cops say the dog won't bite
And the sad man's saying they forgot him when
And the blood running black in the valley shadows
And the river running all the while
I've become a glad man singing a song
About a lover rolled over, said you must be tired
And the truth coming towards the light
About a sad man knocking on a chapel door
And a burned out boat called "Tried by Fire"
And the mouth of the river is wide
Wide...
Fake watches in your broken hand
Barely keeping time
Barefoot in the city and your phone is ringing
Bet you're watching all the happy kids
Climbing on a car
They were singing something
Maybe they were singing:
"Become the weeds, we will become
Become the sea, we will become"
Your fake money gave you everything
Left along the road
You're cursing by the furnace and your phone is ringing
Bet you're watching all the happy kids
Clapping in the cool
They were singing something
Maybe they were singing:
"Become the weeds, we will become
Become the sea, we will become"
Your fake name is not for everyone
It's good enough for me
Forgotten by the garden and your phone is ringing
Bet you're watching all the happy kids
Kiss each other clean
They were singing something
Maybe they were singing:
"Become the weeds, we will become
Become the sea, we will become"
Become the rising sun
We will become, become
Become the damage done
We will become, become
Become the river sway
We will become, become
Become the love we made
We will become, become
Become the endless chain
We will become, become
Become forgotten name
We will become, become
Become sinner and the saint
We will become, become
Become bandage and the blade
We will become, become
Become the word and the breath
We will become, become
Become the card in the chest
We will become, become
Become the liked and the loathed
We will become, become
Become the bruise and the blow
We will become, become
Become the fruit and the fall
We will become, become
Become the caress and the claw
We will become, become
Become glory and the guilt
We will become, become
Become the blossom and the wilt
We will become, become
Become both right and wrong
We will become, become
Become the sound and the song
We will become, become
Become tooth and the tongue
We will become, become
Become the target and the gun
We will become, become
Become so cruel and kind
We will become, become
Become the weary and the wild
We will become, become
Become legions and doubt
We will become, become
Become the whisper and the shout
We will become, become
Become the honest and the veiled
We will become, become
Become the hammer and the nail
We will become, become
Become the blessing and the curse
We will become, become
Become their crooked words
We will become, become
Become the blood and the bone
We will become, become
Become an ice cream cone
We will become, become
Become the way and the wall
We will become, become
Become a disco ball
We will become, become
Become both now and then
We will become, become
Become again and again
We will become, become