A In the blue forests, faded and forgotten
I crawled the cotton fields, picking for cotton D The overseer sneered, his whipping was A ecstasy. F#m Im child-like terror I out the tap roots Bm of the lash were calling to follow suit E7 I dashed for the swamps, the in hot pursuit D a Jealously. C#7 f#m All through the night a figure of fright, as I hid my C#7 f#m And the buried their in a cut of my cloths, now torn in shreds C#7 b And they never would leave until they that I was dead E a But I'd never curse their E a Oh, who am I to E a I know I'd do the B Endlessly. C#m And all the ladies F#m So and so true, B Have been handed to the E in rome do as the romans do.
Frail and afraid in the mists of the The snakes and the spiders were performing The bark of the dogs up the warning the wood. Sweating and I crawled from the manger The highway appeared to take me danger Is anyone here who would pick up a stranger? Oh I you could. Then someone replied "would you a ride? " "come in" he said. We for a while, he gave me a smile and a piece of bread The hammer was hard in the chrome of the car as I his head we took off in a spin Oh I his skull again Oh thank you my friend, I so good. And all the high-born So and so true, Have been handed to the in rome do as the romans do.
Late in the evening I came to the I fell to the sighing for pity A diamond was dropped from the of the pretty To be so kind. Cowards and corpses were competing The rhymes of the riots were repeating I to the corner and sped(? ) from the speeding To my mind. Latches and locks, companies of ran from the rain There was silk in the stores for the of the whores That with shame. I asked for a light a priest in the night I fanned the flames. And the traffic all stood To see if someone had killed I was glad to leave a So far behind. And all the ladies So and so true, Have been handed to the in rome do as the romans do.
A and his mother were dancing so dandy A topless nun was out candy The bishop broke out the brandy The we crave. They and stammered, would I feel like staying We fell to our knees, feverishly The salt in the salt-peter to be saying Be brave, be brave. I reached for a robe, I preached and I probed And I the tune. And the for the gills was played to the hilt As I promised I toyed with their fears, until coins and tears the room Then I took off down the Laughing madly a toad God bless soulless soul That be saved. And all the ladies So and so true, Have been handed to the When in do as the romans do.
A of children were passing the hours I joined in their fun and gave my flowers Covered with kisses and showered with they repaid. Taken and trusting, I be their teacher? She looked so appealing, I wanted to her out of reach, unable to reach her Their were raised. Charmed by the chalk, the lessons were taught, inside the They the rules of the samurai schools, they had to pass The was adjourned, the lessons were learned, I on the gas And I watched them their pleas They passed the test ease I gave them degrees, made the grade. And all the high-born So and so true, been handed to the soldiers When in do as the romans do.
Feeling my weakness, a for company I joined the of the hot and hungry To teach what it to have love for your country We away. We lowered our lives for the of a border We danced with the mothers, with the daughters We our fantasies, following orders It was play. After the war the bullets were so we capped the game With cynical smiles we put them on trial to place the Now what kind of would love such a feast you no shame? So we hung the by the Oh, we them in the street Oh, the was sweet On day. And all the ladies So and so true, Have handed to the soldiers in rome do as the romans do.
The bread and the circuses came to be The saviour or somebody must be Pagans and pageants all disappearing my head. The stones on the were staring and stalling Caesar and cassius were and calling The had risen and now it was falling Or so it seemed. The crown and the cross seemed empty and in dark despair And lies, death in disguise were everywhere The was cold, the story was old, I said my prayers I crowned him on the head Oh, I him as he bled Oh at last, the king is God the queen. And all the ladies So and so true, been handed to the soldiers When in rome do as the do.
Now nothing for building or burning The of lovers was all I was learning A time for escape and a time for had come to me Back through the and back through the embers Back the roads and the ruins I remembered My hands at my I sadly surrendered Do as you please. The hero was home, proven and grown, I fell on the Mad with romance they to dance, their star was born I bled the rain, exploded in pain, then I screamed for more Oh, me feel sublime Release me from my Oh, me one more time And set me free. And all the ladies So and so true, Have been handed to the When in do as the romans do.