- After Strange Gods Windows Media sample | RealAudio sample | words
- Poison I.V. League Windows Media sample | RealAudio sample | words
- Jericho Windows Media sample | RealAudio sample | words
- Children's March - Over the Hills and Far Away (Percy Grainger) Windows Media sample | RealAudio sample
- Exit, Pursued by a Bear Windows Media sample | RealAudio sample | words
- I Want to Play Your Guitar Windows Media sample | words
- They Can't Believe He's Risen Again Windows Media sample | RealAudio sample | words
- Out From Under Windows Media sample | words
- Let's Go Swimming (Arthur Russell with add'l music by GL) Windows Media sample
- The Nightmare of History Windows Media sample | RealAudio sample
- Vampire Circus Windows Media sample | words
- Cantina Windows Media sample
All songs written by Gary Lucas except where noted.
Produced and arranged by Gary Lucas.
AFTER STRANGE GODS
Around the world
Around the horn
The cup is filled
The lamb is born
Into a flock
A herd a show
Of hands now please
Mind how you go...
After the climb
Before the fall
You feel a chill
The hounds all call
You yesterday
They daily plod
And hurry now
After Strange Gods
After Strange Gods
Outside the pearl
Inside the song
Remains the same
Until it's gone
So take up fast
Thy staff and rod
And hurry now
After Strange Gods
After Strange Gods
© 1994 words and music by Gary Lucas
as sung by Dina Emerson,
from the Gary Lucas album Bad Boys Of The Arctic
top of page
POISON I.V. LEAGUE
Poison I.V. League (4X)
In the room the elite banding
Shoot 'em up till none's left standing
Ride 'em cowboys in the saddle
Mend deeenses herd the cattle
Poison I.V. League (4X)
Spike the punch now let's get stinking
Life looks great when you stop blinking
Cook the books and just keep winking
Rule the planet without thinking
See, I ate what you've been handing
Poppycock, now brake for happy landings
Plundered ground, the velvet glove that children love
Spurt of passion poison pusher comes to shove
Poison I.V. League (4X)
Fort lauderdale nation wotta sensation
Here we lie in our degradation
Running' my mouth while alluding' and hintin'
I got the hots for hillary clinton
And if you think that's disrespectful
Open your cupboard and grab a capful
Empty your wallet and count your blessings
You gotta one way ticket to
Heaven
Poison I.V. League (4X)
We the people you elected
Spoonfed bread and nearly all infected
Here in clubland all is top drawer
Pulling strings and setting up some new scores
Children please now heed this clearcut warning
Nirvana's white but all those black in mourning
Curse their plight the ivy creeps a borning
In the light
That league you must keep scorning
Poison I.V. League (4X)
© 1994 words and music by Gary Lucas
as sung by Kenny and Larry,
from the Gary Lucas album Bad Boys Of The Arctic
top of page
JERICHO
I hear the sound of a thousand fingers
Snap in the void where the air is cold
I hear the throb of a thousand singers
Rise in the gloom down in Jericho
Once there was life now there's silence spoken
Haunting the plains and the boneyard low
Dance past the walls all sweetly broken
Kingdom has come down in Jericho
You keep saying that's the way to go
Caught in the middle down in Jericho
Just when you're thinking that it's safe to blow
Blind dumb and deaf down in Jericho
Where there's a will there's a way to travel
Take what you need with the urge to go
Visit the site where the world unraveled
Hung in the dust down in Jericho
You keep saying that's the way to show
Lost in the fog down in Jericho
Just when you're feeling that there's more to know
Caught in the past down in Jericho
Singers and players now approach the altar
Listen and learn what the history shows
Keep playing hard don't ever falter
Make the walls fall down in Jericho
© 1994 words and music by Gary Lucas
as sung by Sonya Cohen,
from the Gary Lucas album Bad Boys Of The Arctic
top of page
EXIT, PURSUED BY A BEAR
Shook, shaken and stirred
By the Holy Word
Where's the fire next time
There'll be a bed of quick lime
(repeat)
So Exit, Pursued by a Bear
The wind and the wellies
The stars in your hair
No Exit, Pursued by a Bear
A pink hostess twinkie
So that they know that you care
That craven jackanapes
The foul fiend doth come around
Bringing off the youngest ones
While bringing everybody else down
At tendaroni junction
You can hear him make that sound
A low slung greasy whistle
Wrestles you right to the ground
(repeat chorus)
"Where's my drink?" Shouts Plutarch
Retiring for the night
"I can't think straight no more
There's too much for my sight
The lives of saints and sinners
The poisoned dagger serpent's bite
The plucking touching hand
Of man and woman born of light"
(repeat first verse and chorus)
© 1994 words and music by Gary Lucas
as sung by Dina Emerson,
from the Gary Lucas album Bad Boys Of The Arctic
top of page
I WANT TO PLAY YOUR GUITAR
Feelings unfurled and my fingers are itching
To get back to some of the love we've been missing
But you've got something you wear like a star
I want to play your guitar
I can't remember who started this feeling
It's growing and showing a new world revealing
'Cause you've got something that carries me far
I want to play your guitar
Please stay
I want to play
Now that I've shown you a reason for living
Sharing the warmth that you're constantly giving
And rocking the cradle upside down and ajar
I want to play your guitar
© 1994 words and music by Gary Lucas
as sung by Sonya Cohen,
from the Gary Lucas album Bad Boys Of The Arctic
top of page
THEY CAN'T BELIEVE HE'S RISEN AGAIN
On Easter morning rose
just for me
a wine dark sea
the sun burning
in eternity
The radical risible visible man
he rises when ready and rages at them
He sticks his neck out to be cut down and then
They can't believe he's risen again
He's risen again
He's risen again
He rises again and again and again
Try as they might they can't shut him out
From the depths of the shadows he keeps stepping out
He rises to shake and to take on command
For they can't believe he's risen again
He's risen again
He's coming again
He rises again and again and again
Iron nails ran in
The last time the messiah checked in
Just when they think that he's down for the count
A rush and a thrush and he's back on his mount
Full forces the full stop their murderous plan
For they can't believe he's risen again
They can't believe he's risen again
The hounds of heaven are closing in
The sepulchre rings with the triumphant din
For they can't believe he's risen again
He's risen again
He's risen again
He rises again and again and again
So you can rise up to be!
© 1994 words and music by Gary Lucas
as sung by Gary Lucas,
from the Gary Lucas album Bad Boys Of The Arctic
top of page
OUT FROM UNDER
Look over yonder
Out from under
Don't you wonder
Never fear
Holy thunder
Out from under
Out from under
And up from here
When I was just a kid you know my daddy said to me
Music's just the thing my girl and singing's just the key
I heard a voice inside my head
Singing till my face turned red
And now i've got the power
Here to set you free
Ripped asunder
Out from under
Don't you wonder
What's to fear
Lift me yonder
Out from under
Out from under
And up from here
When I got out from under I was hanging by my thumbs
The schoolyard torn and plundered waiting for what ever comes
The writing on the wall spoke tall
And so I had to chuck it all
I'm sailing down the seaway now
Just listen to me hum
Set me to ponder
Out from under
Set me to wander
Far from here
Rise over yonder
Out from under
And up from here
(repeat first verse)
© 1994 words and music by Gary Lucas
as sung by Sonya Cohen,
from the Gary Lucas album Bad Boys Of The Arctic
top of page
VAMPIRE CIRCUS
Come on down to the killing ground
Selling your birthright by the pound
Selling your searchlight for a mess of pottage
Give up the ghost and turn up the wattage
Come on down! come on down!
Caught in the sway and the push and pull
Every day turning animal
Hiding your face in the cotton wool
You feel a void 'cause you're never full
Come on down...come on down...come on down...
To vampire circus
Come on down...come on down...come on down...
Where you know where the work is
It's dog eat dog eat god on the half shell
Not be moved by the cry of a rebel yell
Tale of a whale of a tail of a tub
Hatchin' and scratchin' a vision of beelzebub
Come on down...come on down...come on down...
To vampire circus
Come on down...come on down...come on down...
Where satan's fiery smirk is
One night of fright, eternity of bliss
So turn your head for the vampire's kiss
Now suck on this
Allemande high and allemande low
Genuflect circumspect hit the deck slow
Mating dance for an old kind of purpose
Yr now a donor in the vampire circus
Come on down! come on down!
Heart made of beef and a heart getting harder
Bought and sold get it cold straight from the larder
Come on down...come on down...come on down...
To vampire circus
Come on down...come on down...come on down...
Where you know how they jerk us
Steal from the african take from the redman
Deal with the hooligan and keep out the jews
Trade 'em for wampum melt 'em down to saddle soap
Just so you know what the good people do
Come on down...come on down...come on down...
To vampire circus
Come on down...come on down...come on down...
Where they'll be sure to jerk us
Dracula's guest, daughter of horror
Like a thief in the night the rich become poorer
I speak the truth and I don't speak in jest
It's such a drag to end up dracula's guest
Morgan...come out...come out...
© 1994 words and music by Gary Lucas
as sung by Gary Lucas,
from the Gary Lucas album Bad Boys Of The Arctic
top of page