Swing For The Crime

"Locked in a room full of words

I'm a one-eyed midget with a curse

The simpleton who sweetly smiles

At his young lover now beguiled

The sycophantic morons lied

At Romeo, who is the bride, let's ride

Stoned as I walk down the hall

The ad men wait to hear the curse and call

The angels scream in discontent

As to the river they are lent

The actors bow and pay the rent

We cover them in cold cement

Let's swing for the crime

Everyone in double-time

And we hope that you had a good time

Yeah, smile as you sign on the line

Because life on your knees can be fun

Surprised now you're not the only one

Led like a lamb into this gloom

Yeah, Freud is in a back room with his goons

Now they've got new experiments

The metal groans, the limbs are rent

The anti-heroes mock dissent

We market now by mass consent

We swing for the crime

Everyone in double-time

Scream like you'll burst if they cry

Is changed by the words that you learn

But Jack the Ripper is inside

And Moriarty has imbibed

They live, they marry, all the while

We laugh and have them circumcised

And we hope that you had a good time

Yeah, smile as you sign on the line

Because life on your knees can be fun

Are you glad that you're not the only one?"

There's rightfully much praise and ink-spilled over Chris Baily's incredible voice — the perfect combination of punk snottiness, a deep down-under blues ache and longing with a sarcastic, winking bite — but it needs to be noted that the man was also a one of a kind lyricist, up there with the very best. May his memory be a blessing.