The romans erected great structures to burn
All the Christians and Christians burned witches in turn
But the witches had only their own flesh to burn
And black kettles to churn like the sea

Emily told me a long time ago
Of how she was a firebug matches aglow
And that I was the only person to know
Cause her secret was so safe with me

Oh Pleistocene! Oh Pleistocene!
How quickly you say what the rest of us mean
For millions of years they anointed you queen
But how the machines have broke down

My great-grandfather killed germans of that I am sure

The poet stands among his fans
The last of them, a dying breed
Waits patiently for their empty applause
To hollow out the robots
And make room for ghosts to live in there
The murderous machines will bear the burden for us all

But he could be so easily persuaded to believe in anything that wears a dress
God bless
His easy heart
God bless this awful mess

The Pharaoh signs his concubine's
Name on a tomb a golden room
He carved for her as if it were his own
And fills his chest with emptiness
So now her ghost is free to roam
His coin his crown his queen mean nothing

The nerve of you I swear
With your long legs in the air
Your nylons with their tear just past the knee
Hey there
Get ready
This'll only hurt a minute
When I said close your eyes I meant it
Hey there
Hold steady
This is only the beginning
When I said shut your mouth I meant it

Machines that you can't see
They built you in a factory
And they told you what to be and who to love
Hey there
Get ready
This'll only hurt a minute
When I said hold your fire I meant it
Hey there
Hold steady
This is only the beginning
When I said clip the wires I meant it

The poet stands among his fans
The last of them, a dying breed
Waits patiently for their empty applause
To hollow out the robots
And make room for ghosts to live in there
The murderous machines will bear the burden for us all

But he could be so easily persuaded to believe in any fool that wears a dress
God bless
His easy heart
God bless this awful mess

The Pharaoh signs his concubines
Name on a tomb a golden room
He carved for her as if it were his own
And fills his chest with emptiness
So now her ghost is free to roam
His coin his crown his queen mean nothing

The romans erected great structures to burn
All the Christians and Christians burned witches in turn
But the witches had only their own flesh to burn
And black kettles to churn like the sea

Emily told me a long time ago
Of how she was a firebug matches aglow
And that I was the only person to know
Cause her secret was so safe with me

Oh Pleistocene, oh pleistocene
How quickly you say what the rest of us mean
For millions of years they anointed you queen
But how the machines have broke down

My great-grandfather killed germans of that I am sure

Your father the merman
He took your small hand
And he led you stark naked
To the many-tongued man
Who then fed you on vinegar-soaked saccharin
Oh he held you like fire in the palm of his hand

Now the conch that you wore round
Your wrist as a charm
He carved into a pistol
Tattooed on his arm
When you broke free he used it to sound the alarm
And he found you and beat you til your blood ran warm

Down your face
Now your jaw's out of place
The unusual taste
Of your teeth in your throat
And the knife that you'll use
Once his grip has been loosed