Monday, April 11, 2022

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.

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