Whiskey For The Holy Ghost
copyright 1993 Ripplestick Music/SubPop

all songs by Mark Lanegan

The River Rise

Oh the river rise
And it's a mile high
Is this worth tryin'
Is this worth tryin'
Cause I could fall
Like a tear
Well there's nothing else I can do

When I'm not alone
Nothings beside me
What one eye sees 
The other's blind in
Well I could fall
As if I was young
With a lifetime to think of you

Fire one for losing
And two for hiding
Keep river moving
Movin' right by me
I could fall
And there's nothin' else I can do

Ah the river rise
And it's a mile high
Has this world turned
Has this world tried
Cause I could fall
Like a tear
well there's nothin' else I can do

Up on the river rise
She's a mile high


Borracho

Oh....oh (4x's)
Trouble comes in slowly
A neverlasting light come to shine all over me
Bright in the mornin'
Like all of heaven's love come to shine on me
And to you who never need
Fuck yourselves, I need some more room to breathe

Here comes the devil, prowl around
One whiskey for evey ghost
And I'm sorry for what I've done
Cause it's me who knows what it cost

It breaks and it breathes, and it tears you apart
It bites and it bleeds
And this desert turns to ocean over me

Here come the devil, prowl around
One whiskey for every ghost
And I'm sorry for what I said
I said I just don't care anymore

A fool can feed on the notion
Sees and believes
And this desert turns to ocean over me

Trouble comes in slowly
A neverlasting light come to shine all over me
At the dead end to mornin' darlin'
With all of heaven's love come to shine on me

The fool that feeds on the notion
Sees and believes 
And this desert turns to ocean over me

Here come the devil, buy the round
One whiskey for every ghost
And I'm sorry for what I done
Lord it's me who knows what it costs

The fool that feeds on the notion
Sees and believes 
And this desert turns to ocean over me

Here come the devil, prowlin' round
One whiskey for every ghost
And I'm sorry for what I said
I said I just don't care anymore
It breaks and it breathes and it tears you apart
Gonna bite, gonna bleed
Til this desert turns to ocean over me


House A Home

Here ya are, at the top of the tower
Could a body take that much
Alone through every waking hour
Asleep without nobody to touch

Whoa,whoa,whoa,and
Only silence here
Whoa,whoa,whoa,and
Lonely silence here
And I'm not the one
Make your house a home
Makes no sense to stay
Through one more lonely last day
Oh no babe, it's not right

Here ya are, cryin' in the night
Could a body take that much
Find yourself standin' outside
You ain't got nobody to touch

Whoa,whoa,whoa,and
There's only silence here
Whoa,whoa,whoa, and
There's only silence here
And I'm not the one
make your house a home
Makes no sense to stay
Through one more lonely last day
oh no babe, it's not right


Kingdoms Of Rain

Are those halos in your hair
Or diamonds shining there
Without a hope, without a prayer
This rain beats down like death
You turn your eyes to better men
Before I go I'll hang a cross on a nail
I hung one for you in there

Girl lay your shame to rest
Hope lies close to your breast
You stoop to feed the crows
Some scraps of truth already cold
Before I go I'll hang a cross on a nail
I hung one for you in there
And every kingdom of rain comes fallin' down
Cause I loved you so long
Cause I loved you so long

Would you put halos in your hair
Without a hope without a prayer
With lies close to your breast
You finally lay your shame to rest
Before I go I'll hang a cross on a nail
I hung one for you in there
And every kingdom of rain comes fallin' down
Cause I loved you so long 
cause I loved you so long
Cause I loved you so long


Carnival

Where in the world have you been
It's as strange as I've ever lived
So you're comin' along to the sideshow
I'll be fallin' all over like dominos
For girls are sad in their eyes
They're all standin' around bein' hypnotised
And walkin' me back to the firin' line
Ya smile to get in the door
Ya can't keep it closed anymore
Tell your ma that you're gone to the freakshow
I'm crawlin' all over the carnival
Just scratchin' a stitch in a skin
I'm moanin' for more of the medicine
In the mornin' you're wonderin' where ya been
Just turnin' your back to the ghost
And tryin' to look like you just might know
That all of the good that you've seen
Just went down and into the drain
Oh kids am I straight out for now
In the mornin' I'm gonna find it on out
What in the world can it be
It's as strange as I've ever seen
The girls are dead in their eyes
Just standin' around like they're hypnotised
Who'll follow me back to the freak show
I'm crawlin' all over the carnival
And I am gone 
The kid's in a straight out for now
In the mornin' I'm wanna find it on out
What in the world can it be
It's as strange as I've ever seen
The girls are dead in their eyes
Just standin' around like they're hypnotised
Who'll follow me back to the freak show
I'm crawlin' all over the carnival
And I am gone 


Riding The Nightingale

Dyin' mama barely breathin' in a bed of nails
To wander through the ruin smokin' and pale
Came upon an angel and a nightingale
Back where the darkness comes
Between the earth and skies above
Dead weight on my body's bones
I think I dug too deep a hole
Think I dug too deep
a hole

Better run for cover babe you better hide
Don't do no good to wait til time decides
Time decides
Time 
Time
I need a little more time
Riding on my nightingale
So many years to, to ride
Hiding on my nightingale, around my heart

Climbing down the stairs at last 
I wouldn't touch me right
You're too proud and I'm too scared
And I'm neither here nor there
It's only fear
Well open up the doors 
And let me breathe that air

Better run for cover babe you better hide
Just don't do to wait til time decides
Time decides
Time 
Time
I need a little more time

Mama I'm gonna cry now
Cry, I'm gonna cry now
Oh you're makin' me cry now
Cry, I'm gonna cry now
Oh, no, no, no, no, no
I'm gonna cry
Cry
I'm gonna die cryin'

Better run for cover babe you'd better hide
Just don't to wait til time decides
Tied around my nightingale
So many years to, to hide
Fly my nightingale
Around my heart
Who's riding on my nightingale (7x's)


El Sol

The sun is gone, and that's all I really know
No angels in the air
With hearts as good as gold
The closer you stand to the gates
The more the gates are closed

These darkened days
Make somebody's hunger and thirst
The blessed burns the sun
He's throwin' shadows on the earth
The shadow you find at the gate
And all the gates are closed
Oh yeah

Anytime you find your race is run
Felt much colder standin' in the sun
Waitin' for some warmth and comin' down
Felt much older than I really was
Waitin' for some warmth and comin' down

The sun is gone, yeah that's all I really know
No angels in the air
With hearts as good as gold
The closer you stand to the gates
The more the gates are closed

Anytime you find your race is run
Felt much colder standin' in the sun
Waitin' for some warmth and comin' down
Felt much older than I really was
Waitin' for some warmth and comin' down
Felt much older standin' in the sun'
Waitin' for some warmth and comin' down (repeat)


Dead On You

You were a ragged
Turquoise and twilight coat
I got my head hung down for you
Some day you're gonna need it
But it's worn or the, cloth gets torn
And there's only one way to go
It's gone dead, dead
It's gone dead on you
Take off your ragged
Turquoise and twilight coat
I got my head hung down for you
Someday you're gonna need it
But it's worn or the, cloth gets torn
And then there's only on way to go
It's goin' dead, dead
It's going dead, dead
It's goin' dead on you


Shooting Gallery

I'll tell you how I woke up on the line
My sister I almost saw the light
Look my hands are tied
I'll see you in another hallway
Some other time

Well I don't understand this big parade
It's a five star decoration day
Look my hands are stained 
I was washin' 'em the water
Well the water fell away

I'll tell you how I woke up on the line
Sorry for a soul in heaven passin' by
Look my hands are tied
I will see you in another station
Some other time


Sunrise

Sunrise
Forgot to cover up my eyes
Sunrise
Should've covered up my eyes
Beauty wasted on me
Winds are shakin' my tree
With a woman too good, to believe
Take the first ride out that I see

Sunrise
Skies are servin' my plan
Grounds are movin' where I stand
Pull an airplane down
With my hand
And take the first flight out that I can

Sunrise
Forgot to cover up my eyes
Beauty wasted on me
Winds are movin' my trees
With a woman too good, to believe
Take the first ride out that I see
Sunrise


Pendulum

Jesus Christ been here and gone
What a painful price to pay
He's left his life in a thunderstorm
Tears cold dark eyes upon
Swing pendulum, swing low
Got no place to call my own
Oh my Lord don't you bother me
I'm as tired as a man can be
I'm as tired as a man can be

Jesus Christ been here and gone
What a painful place to leave
With frost on the limbs of a cherry tree
This cold, cold wind is buryin' me
Swing pendulum, swing slow
Got no time to call my own
Oh my Lord don't you bother me
I'm as tired as a man can be
I'm as tired as a man can be


Judas Touch

Put out the lions and close the door
I need you more
Than I did before
Old Jack's been killed and buried away
Let's hang alone
Outside the gate
Flames scare the lions as do their dreams
That's the way it'll always be
Better close the door
That's the way it'll alway be
Better close the door
Some fools forever don't ask for much
With frozen hand, calm Judas touch
Some towers of fire can be redeemed
Just let me burn
High worlds away


Beggar's Blues

Night train, silver moon
You ask me why, I'm flyin'
To float on ashen wings
To choke on dust and feather
I learned you are a liar
It's right we should pretend
And lie with one another
It's right we should be twins
For I have loved no other

Look for me baby
Well I'm draggin' lonliness
And it's ten miles long
I thought I heard you scream baby
In the wheels of a train that crawls
When I don't wanna go
Cause you forget me when I'm gone, whoa
Look for me baby
Whenever ice is glistening upon the glass
D'ya ever find your dream baby
Well God knows I never hear mine close enough
I watched 'em slip away like this, whoa

I've been from one end of this street to the other
Now I want the gifts ya promised me lover
Look for me baby
Crow fly by with sister and brother
Deadly as a kiss, a sin to one another
Look for me baby
Well I'm draggin' lonliness and it's ten miles long
I thought I heard you scream baby
In the wheels of a train that crawls
And I don't wanna go
Cause you forget me when I'm gone, whoa

Night train, silver moon
You ask me why am I flyin'
To float on ashen wings
To choke on dust and feather
My dreams will go no further
Won't calm my violent river
Oh guardian of peace
Let the beggar walk in the winter
Look for me baby
Look for me baby
Look for me baby
Look for me baby
that's all