Bookends

[Part I]

[Verse 1]
Riley was always going on about the Cross and breakin' it
Taking acre and the pain reliever within
But when the livin' do not bury the dead
And women ape men eight, nine, ten
False mutes given tongues
Cut their bed to shreds, now strike
And fall in back with your vanguard

[Verse 2]
Let us not rehearse
Let the brother change his sister into
A pit they dig so deep
That they come out the roof, owing to
The impatience of the multitude
Hard in the market place
Always with the advertising
Bear excuses, nolens volens
This they do, they save themselves
This they do, they save themselves
This they do
But who's them anyway?
Who's them anyway?
Who's them anyway?

[Verse 3]
That rumor spread
When the people heard they thought they'd done it themselves
That's no remedy, no
We still don't see what we don't wanna see, yeah
You think I'm gonna throw my soul away
When I've seen women buried in three different ways
I've seen women buried in three different ways
In three different ways
In three different ways

[Instrumental Break]

[Verse 4]
You take me today
I take you tomorrow
It'll be the busiest day of my life
I can't forget my ensign
Gotta pay attention to the orders
And gather all my men up
I gotta gather 'em up
But what's the use
My backbone shot through?
Baby, don't make me yawn
You had your last shit on when they found you
Figure to yourself, my friend
Thirst is coming
Yeah, it's coming, it's coming
Thirst is coming

[Part II]

[Pre-Chorus]
Now I'm suing you for mercy, mercy
Now I'm suing you for mercy, mercy
Now I'm suing you for mercy, mercy
Now I'm suing you for mercy, mercy
Now I'm suing you for mercy, mercy
Now I'm suing you for mercy, mercy
Now I'm suing you for mercy, mercy
Now I'm suing you for mercy, mercy

[Chorus]
Riley was always going off about the Cross and breakin' it
The condition of life, the source of the blue nile
Grace cup to your lips
Seventy thousand men, why am I wondering where Riley went?
Gotta speak at the end of my breath 'cause I'm still wondering where Riley went

[Post-Chorus]
Like it or not
Yeah, that's what you got
Like it or not
Yeah, that's what you got

[Chorus]
Because Riley was always going off about the Cross and breakin' it
The condition of life, the source of the blue nile
Grace cup to your lips
Seventy thousand men, why am I wondering where Riley went?
Gotta speak at the end of my breath 'cause I'm still wondering where Riley went

[Post-Chorus]
Well, like it or not
Yeah, that's what you got
Like it or not, yeah
Yeah, that's what you got

[Outro]
Because Riley was always
He was always going off
He wanted to break that Cross
Yeah, he just wanted
He wanted to break the Cross
He just wanted
He wanted so bad to go off about
He just needed
He needed to break the Cross
He's goin' to, he wanted so bad
He wanted to break the Cross
Just goin' to break the Cross, he wanted to, yeah
He wanted to break it, he wanted to break it