Shovel and Bone

[Lucifer and sinners]
Again!
Pry the belly, hook and a nail--
(First with shovel, then with bone)
Coal and fire to the whale
(First with shovel, then with bone)
Break the lion, catch his tail!
(First with shovel, then with bone)
Little lambs tied to the rail
(First with shovel, then with bone)

{Verse 1}
Black tracks, black crows
Feeding on the face of a dear abandoned boy
Fighting for a taste with the flies
Black chains, black spikes
Hammering the steel and the wounds with shit and mud
Scabbing into railroad ties
Four, then twenty blackbirds fall
Where metal moans
And gandies curse
Pitch and flail beneath the malls
Strike the furnace, raise the hearse!

{Chorus}
Again!
Pry the belly, hook and a nail--
(First with shovel, then with bone)
Coal and fire to the whale
(First with shovel, then with bone)
Break the lion, catch his tail!
(First with shovel, then with bone)
Little lambs tied to the rail
(First with shovel, then with bone)

{Verse 2}
Black lungs, black breath
Hissed across the faces of dear departing souls
Swallowing the guilt and ink
Black coal, black freight
Cutting with its teeth in ash and vein and skin
Clawing through the sludge and stink
Four, then twenty blackbirds fall
Where metal moans
Gandies curse
Pitch and flail beneath the malls
Strike the furnace, raise the hearse!

{Chorus}
Again!
Pry the belly, hook and a nail--
(First with shovel, then with bone)
Coal and fire to the whale
(First with shovel, then with bone)
Break the lion, catch his tail!
(First with shovel, then with bone)
Little lambs tied to the rail
(First with shovel, then with bone)

{Bridge, Ms Merrywood}
Heave on, heave on...
Cast out your skin, fat to the feast
With each crumb that's offered another mouth springs
Surrender your wool, and your kin to the beast...
Heave on, heave on...

{Chorus, all sing together}
Down the throat of an alle-alle-luia...
Spoil an empty God
Pry the belly, hook and nail, Alleluia (All children of Heaven sing)
Coal and fire to the whale, Alleluia (Born of blood and cast of wing)
Break the lion, catch his tail (Alleluia, Alleluia)
First with shovel, now with bone (Alleluia)
Little lambs tied to the rail (Always Alleluia)
First with shovel, now with bone
Pry the belly, hook and nail (Lace my vest and mend my soul)
First with shovel, Alleluia (Alleluia)
Coal and fire to the whale, Alleluia! Ha-ha-ha (Vine and silver storms my role, Alleluia, Alleluia)
Break the lion, catch his tail (Alleluia)
First with shovel, now with bone (Always Alleluia)
Alleluia! Alleluia! Ha-Ha! Alleluia (Alleluia, Alleluia)
Pry the belly, hook and nail (Gates of pearl and tinsel dreams)
First with shovel now with bone(Alleluia)
Coal and fire to the whale (Spread and draw me to thy seams)
First with shovel now with bone (Alleluia, Alleluia)
Break the lion, catch his tail (Alleluia)
First with shovel now with bone (Always Alleluia)
Little lambs tied to the rail
Again!
Alleluia, Alleluia, Always Alleluia!
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Alleluia, Alleluia!