A In the fire forests, faded and forgotten
I through the cotton fields, picking for cotton D The overseer sneered, his was rotten A ecstasy. F#m Im terror I tore out the tap roots Bm Cards of the 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 their nose in a cut of my cloths, now torn in shreds C#7 b And they would leave until they believed that I was dead E a But I'd never their names 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 handed to the soldiers E When in rome do as the do.
Frail and afraid in the of the morning The snakes and the spiders were sadly 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 there anyone who would pick up a stranger? Oh I you could. Then someone "would you like a ride? " "come in" he said. We drove for a while, he me a smile and a piece of bread The hammer was hard in the chrome of the car as I his head Then we off in a spin Oh I smashed his skull Oh thank you my friend, I so good. And all the ladies So and so true, Have handed to the soldiers in rome do as the romans do.
Late in the evening I to the city I fell to the sighing for pity A diamond was dropped the hands of the pretty To be so kind. Cowards and were busy competing The rhymes of the riots busy repeating I raced to the corner and sped(? ) from the To my mind. Latches and locks, companies of cops ran the rain There was silk in the stores for the of the whores That shone shame. I asked for a light from a priest in the Then I the flames. And the traffic all stood To see if had been killed I was glad to leave a So far behind. And all the high-born So and so true, Have handed to the soldiers in rome do as the romans do.
A and his mother were dancing so dandy A topless nun was handing out The beautiful bishop broke out the The we crave. They stuttered and stammered, would I feel like We fell to our knees, praying The salt in the salt-peter seemed to be Be brave, be brave. I reached reached for a robe, I and I probed And I the tune. And the greed for the was played to the hilt As I promised I toyed their fears, until coins and tears filled the room I took off down the road Laughing madly a toad God every soulless soul That be saved. And all the high-born So and so true, Have handed to the soldiers When in rome do as the do.
A chorus of children were the hours I in their fun and gave them my flowers Covered with kisses and showered showers That repaid. Taken and trusting, I be their teacher? She so appealing, I wanted to touch her out of reach, unable to reach her Their hands raised. Charmed by the chalk, the lessons were taught, the class They studied the rules of the samurai schools, they had to The was adjourned, the lessons were learned, I on the gas And I watched them their pleas They the test with ease I them their degrees, made the grade. And all the ladies So and so true, Have been handed to the When in do as the romans do.
my weakness, a coward for company I the ranks of the hot and hungry To teach what it means to have love for country We away. We our lives for the lines of a border We danced with the mothers, with the daughters We followed our fantasies, orders It was play. After the war the bullets were bored so we capped the With cynical smiles we put them on trial to place the Now what kind of beast love such a feast Have you no So we hung the by the Oh, we shot in the street Oh, the victory was On day. And all the high-born So and so true, Have been to the soldiers When in rome do as the do.
The bread and the came to be nearing The or somebody must be appearing and pageants were all disappearing my head. The stones on the statues were staring and Caesar and cassius cursing and calling The empire had risen and now it was Or so it seemed. The crown and the cross seemed empty and in dark despair And luminous lies, death in disguise were The canvas was cold, the story was old, I my prayers I crowned him on the head Oh, I him as he bled Oh at last, the is dead God the queen. And all the ladies So and so true, Have handed to the soldiers When in do as the romans do.
Now remained for building or burning The losing of was all I was learning A time for escape and a time for returning had to me Back through the ashes and back through the Back through the roads and the ruins I My hands at my side I surrendered Do as you please. The hero was home, proven and grown, I on the floor Mad with romance they started to dance, their star was I bled the rain, exploded in pain, then I screamed for more Oh, make me sublime Release me my mind Oh, kill me one more And set me free. And all the ladies So and so true, Have handed to the soldiers in rome do as the romans do.