One of the darkest and most atmospheric tracks off What, Now?, “Fed to the Wolves”, one of Peter Hammill’s social conscious songs, riffs on child-abusing clergy.
Alongside with “Mediaevil” and “The Lie (Bernini’s Saint Theresa)”, these are the artist’s indictments on the Catholic Church.
And they said "They shall all be fed
All the weak and powerless shall be comforted..."
The Church's arms are open to embrace its orphans
But this unholy priest's an earthly sod
With his cock thrust casually through his vestments
Behind the screen of the confessional
Father's fumbling in the vestry
Lip-service to the sermon even while his fingers fiddle;
Blind-eyed nuns ignore the soiled habits...
For the innocents there's no escape –
What hell on earth (in the name of Christ) was this they'd entered?
Oh, they said "They shall be fed"
And meant that this young flesh
Should be devoured
The lambs were to be led
To be fed to the wolves
Fed to the wolves
(They should be safe in God's House
Does it get any worse than this?
The children are in their power
And power is naked
They should be safe in God's House
But here's no mercy, just abuse
And the damage that is done
Is worse than unholy.)
They said "They shall be fed"
But they're abused rather than comforted
By the very ones who pose as their protectors
And to complain would only bring a beating down upon their backs
For their own imagined wickedness
No escape from such unholy earthly powers:
The lambs shall be devoured
The lambs shall all be fed to the wolves
They shall be fed to the wolves
Pray for the prey
Fed to the wolves
(And the damage that is done
Is worse than unholy.)
Fed to the Wolves was written by Peter Hammill.
Fed to the Wolves was produced by Peter Hammill.