A In the fire blue forests, and forgotten
I crawled through the cotton fields, for cotton D The sneered, his whipping was rotten A ecstasy. F#m Im terror I tore out the tap roots Bm Cards of the lash were calling to follow E7 I for the swamps, the hounds in hot pursuit D a Jealously. C#7 f#m All the night a figure of fright, as I hid my head C#7 f#m And the their nose in a cut of my cloths, now torn in shreds C#7 b And they never would leave until they believed that I was 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 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 kept up the the wood. Sweating and swearing I crawled from the The highway appeared to me from danger Is anyone here who would pick up a stranger? Oh I you could. someone replied "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 took off in a Oh I smashed his again Oh thank you my friend, I so good. And all the ladies So and so true, been handed to the soldiers When in rome do as the do.
Late in the I came to the city I to the sidewalks sighing for pity A diamond was dropped the hands of the pretty To be so kind. and corpses were busy competing The rhymes of the riots were repeating I raced to the corner and sped(? ) the speeding To my mind. Latches and locks, of cops ran from the rain There was silk in the stores for the whims of the That shone shame. I for a light from a priest in the night I fanned the flames. And the traffic all still To see if someone had killed I was to leave a thrill So far behind. And all the high-born So and so true, Have been to the soldiers When in rome do as the do.
A monk and his were dancing so dandy A nun was handing out candy The beautiful bishop out the brandy The we crave. They stuttered and stammered, would I feel like We fell to our knees, feverishly The salt in the salt-peter seemed to be Be brave, be brave. I reached for a robe, I preached and I probed And I the tune. And the greed for the gills was played to the As I doom I toyed with their fears, until coins and filled the room Then I took off the road Laughing madly like a God bless every soul That be saved. And all the high-born So and so true, Have been handed to the When in rome do as the do.
A chorus of children were passing the I in their fun and gave them my flowers Covered kisses and showered with showers That repaid. Taken and trusting, I be their teacher? She so appealing, I wanted to touch her Just out of reach, to reach her hands were raised. Charmed by the chalk, the lessons were taught, the class They studied the of the samurai schools, they had to pass The room was adjourned, the were learned, I on the gas And I watched make their pleas passed the test with ease I gave them degrees, They the grade. And all the ladies So and so true, Have been to the soldiers in rome do as the romans do.
Feeling my weakness, a for company I joined the ranks of the hot and To teach what it to have love for your country We away. We lowered our lives for the of a border We with the mothers, played with the daughters We followed our fantasies, orders It was play. After the war the were bored so we capped the game cynical smiles we put them on trial to place the blame Now what kind of beast would love such a Have you no So we the by the feet Oh, we them in the street Oh, the was sweet On day. And all the ladies So and so true, been handed to the soldiers When in rome do as the do.
The and the circuses came to be nearing The saviour or must be appearing Pagans and pageants were all my head. The stones on the statues were staring and Caesar and cassius were and calling The empire had and now it was falling Or so it seemed. The and the cross seemed empty and lost in dark despair And luminous lies, in disguise were everywhere The canvas was cold, the story was old, I said my Then I crowned him on the 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 do as the romans do.
Now nothing remained for or burning The losing of was all I was learning A time for escape and a time for had come to me Back the ashes and back through the embers through the roads and the ruins I remembered My at my side I sadly surrendered Do as you please. The hero was home, proven and grown, I on the floor Mad with romance they started to dance, star was born I bled like the rain, exploded in pain, then I for more Oh, make me sublime Release me from my Oh, kill me one more And set me free. And all the ladies So and so true, Have been handed to the When in do as the romans do.