The Snake
Album - 1994 - Debaser id 45847

My Daddy was a sinner, but my
Mother was a saintly person
But I ruined my life by drinking, bad
Wives, taking pills and cursing
Rock and Roll you crucified me,
Left me all alone
I never should have turned my back on
The old folks back home

Give me that Church of the Holy Spook
Church of the Holy Spook
Church of the Holy Spook, it's good enough for me
It was good for me dear old Daddy
and my dear old Mammy too
Give me that Church of the Holy Spook
I don't need nothin' new

I believe in the Church of the Holy Spook
I believe that he's in me
The Tao is like a river, so float along with me
When the sacred blood of the Holy Ghost
is boiling in my veins
I think of Jesus on the cross
and I scream out for his pain.

Give me that Church of the Holy Spook
Church of the Holy Spook
Church of the Holy Spook, it's good enough for me
It was good for me dear old Daddy
and my dear old Mammy too
Give me that Church of the Holy Spook
I don't need nothin' new

For seven long years
She helped me spend my dough
Now I take her out
But she don't wanna know
That woman's got me drinking
Look at the state I'm in
Give me one, two, three, four, five, six,
seven, eight, nine, ten bottles of gin

That woman's got me drinking
We used to have some fun
Now shrinks and astrologers
Have got me on the run
That woman's got me drinking
Look at the state I'm in
Give me one, two, three, four, five, six,
seven, eight, nine, ten bottles of gin

She said she'd always love me
She said I'd be the one
Now look at the way she treats me
Just like a piece of scum
That woman's got me drinking
Look at the state I'm in
Give me one, two, three, four, five, six,
seven, eight, nine, ten bottles of gin

If I had the guts to do it
I'd take a long goodbye
Instead I'll love her long and hard
And love her 'til I die
That woman's got me drinking
Look at the state I'm in
Give me one, two, three, four, five, six,
seven, eight, nine, ten bottles of gin

Bottles of gin, bottles of gin, bottles of gin,
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven,
eight, nine, ten bottles of gin

Long years ago I fell in love
With a lady proud and fair
So passionate were she and I
We made fire in the air
I loved her more than life itself
She loved me just the same
And it broke my heart
To think we'd part if she ended the affair

But I was brutal, I was ignorant
I was cruel I was brash
I never gave a damn about
The beauty that I smashed
No sadist I, I took delight
In making my Love cry
Now I'd pray for a single kiss from her
To be lashed and crucified

And now I feel this lady fair
Can never more be mine
Long gone are night in my lonely bed
All suffering and crying
And though I fear that through this life
She'll only call me friend
'Till I'm dead and buried in my grave
My Love will never end

See the moon is once more rising
Above our our land of black and green
Hear the rebels voice is calling
"I shall not die, though you bury me!"
Hear the Aunt in bed a-dying
"Where is my Johnny?"
Faded pictures in the hallway
Which one of these brown ghosts is he?

Fare thee well my black haired diamond
Fare the well my own Aisling
Thoughts of and dreams of you will haunt me
'Till I come back home again

And the wind it blows
To the North and South
And blows to the East and West
I'll be just like that wind my love
For I will have no rest
'Til I return to thee

Bless the wind that shakes the barley
Curse the spade and curse the plough
Waking in the morning early
I wish to Hell I was with you now
One, two, three, four telephone poles
Give me a drink of poitin
Madness from the mountains crawling
When I first met you my own Aisling

Fare thee well my black haired diamond
Fare the well my own Aisling
Thoughts of and dreams of you will haunt me
'Till I come back home again

Fare thee well my black haired diamond
Fare the well my own Aisling
Thoughts of and dreams of you will haunt me
'Till I come back home again

Skinheads, coppers, all cock sucker, punks
Me I'm recovering from a nine day drunk
Hands of a bar maid
Bringing off a bald headed monk
All this and more for just one line of junk

I'll be your handbag
But I'd rather be your negligee
I'll be your handbag
You blow my mind away
You blow my mind away

Don't snatch me please
Don't snatch me please
Don't snatch me please
Don't snatch me please
Don't snatch me please
Don't snatch me please
Don't snatch me please
Don't snatch me please

So cold that I could freeze
Now you got me on my knees
I'll be your handbag
Be right next to you
I'll be your handbag
Cause I belong to you
Cause I belong to you

The coat she wore still lies upon the bed
The book I gave her that she never read
She left without a single word to say
Her father didn't like me anyway

She always wanted more than I could give
Cause she wasn't happy with the way we lived
I suppose I should have begged with her to stay
But her father didn't like me anyway

And Oh! Daddy didn't like the clothes I wear
And Oh! Daddy didn't like my hair
I suppose that if we tried we could have found something to say
But daddy didn't even care

To tell the truth I didn't have the nerve
And I'm only getting just what I deserve
She left without a single word today
Her father was a right cunt anyway

There was Zombi, there was Chino
there was Jimmy and Chiarakaparos
We agreed to split the stuff up
At a Mexican funeral in Paris
Don Alvaro Jose Sanchez
Bathed in Holy water
Said a silent adios to his lovely daughters
To his sons and to the killers A scar, tattoo, a blood line scorned
Revenge the only game!

Father McGreer arrived with the gear
Had a chat and a bit of a smoke
He initiated me into The Church of the Holy Spook
he said "Death will follow anywhere
Until it's found its plan"
Then he laughed and waved goodbye and said
"Stay lucky while you can!"

Machine gun fire split the silent
Softness of the day
Five wetback jerks in tuxes
Got fucking blown away
I thought I was Chiarakaparos
First time I've been, maybe not the last
To a Mexican funeral in Paris

Last night as I lay dreaming
My way across the sea
James Mangan brought me comfort
With laudnum and poitin
He flew me back to Dublin
In 1819
To a public execution
Being held on Stephen's Green
The young man on the platform
Held his head up and he did sing
Then he whispered hard into my ear
As he handed me this ring

"If you miss me on the harbour
For the boat, it leaves at three
Take this snake with eyes of garnet
My mother gave to me!

This snake cannot be captured
This snake cannot be tied
This snake cannot be tortured, or
Hung or crucified

It came down through the ages
It belongs to you and me
So pass it on and pass it on
'Till all mankind is free

If you miss me on the harbour
For the boat, it leaves at three
Take this snake with eyes of garnet
My mother gave to me"

He swung, his face went purple
A roar came from the crowd
But Mangan laughed and pushed me
And we got back on the cloud
He dropped me off in London
Back in this dying land
But my eyes were filled with wonder
At the ring still in my hand

If you miss me on the harbour
For the boat, it leaves at three
Take this snake with eyes of garnet
My mother gave to me!

And if you miss me on the harbour
For the boat, it leaves at three
Take this snake with eyes of garnet
My mother gave to me!

Who dares to speak of Donegal
You get kicks in the bars and kicks in the balls
The harp that played in Tara's halls
Is burning on the dump
Virginia is a gin town
Belturbot is a sin town
And all the boys from Skintown
Are in England on the lump
Got pissed in Letterkenny
With darlin' sportin' Jenny
Spent me very last penny
And we made it in the press
The husband caught me in the bed
Tried to shoot me in the head
Had to swim the stream to get
The Donegal Express

Kahaya! You fuck!
Come Hell of high water
I might have fucked your Missus
But I never fucked your daughter
Fol-diddle-dee-ahhh
Fol-diddle-dee-ahhh
Fol-diddle-dee-ahhh
Fol-diddle-dee-ahhh

As sure as I'm Father Emmett
I've a King Dong down me Semmett
As any girl will tell you
From Cavan down to Clare
Back in sweet Virginia
In the toilet with Lavinia
I nearly fucked her brains out
And tore her party dress
A shit, a shave, a shower
And half a pint of powers
Then off again to get on board
The Donegal Express

Kahaya! You fuck!
Come Hell of high water
I might have fucked your Missus
But I never fucked your daughter
Fol-diddle-dee-ahhh
Fol-diddle-dee-ahhh
Fol-diddle-dee-ahhh
Fol-diddle-dee-ahhh

Kahaya! You fuck!
Come Hell of high water
I might have fucked your Missus
But I never fucked your daughter
Fol-diddle-dee-ahhh
Fol-diddle-dee-ahhh
Fol-diddle-dee-ahhh
Fol-diddle-dee-ahhh

Down the dirty old streets
The Angel of the East is calling
And with a trembling hand
I open up a can
I can hear a baby bawling

Before I open up my eyes
I can feel her love inside me
But then I realize
My girl with green eyes
Is no longer there beside me

Vicoria, you left me in opium euphoria
With a fat monk singing Gloria
My girl with green eyes

Only you see that I am lazy
Doon't care about fame
Nor money like a child
And I'm just like a child
Who's forgotten how to smile

All the people are so busy
I have nothing to bother about
It seems that I'm different
Seems that I am strange
I'm a bumpkin, I'm a lout

Some day I know
I'll put my pipe aside and hit the road
However far away I have to go
To find my girl with green eyes

Some day I know
I'll put my pipe aside and hit the road
However far away I have to go
To find my girl with green eyes

Victoria, my girl with green eyes

Now come tell me Sean O'Farrell
Tell me why you hurry so?
Hush a bhuachaill, hush and listen
And his cheeks were all aglow
I have orders from the captain
Get you ready quick and soon
For the pikes must be together
At the rising of the moon
The rising of the moon
The rising of the moon
The pikes must be together
At the rising of the moon
And come tell me Sean O'Farrell
Where the gatherin' is to be
At the old spot by the river
Quite well known to you and me
And by way of signal token
Whistle loud the marching tune
With your pike upon your shoulder
At the rising of the moon
The rising of the moon
The rising of the moon
With your pike upon your shoulder
At the rising of the moon
Out from many a mud wall cabin
Many a manly heart was beating
For the blessed morning light
Murmurs ran along the valley
Like the banshee's lonely croon
And a thousand pikes were flashing
At the rising of the moon
The rising of the moon
The rising of the moon
A thousand pikes were flashing
At the rising of the moon
All along that singing river
A black mass of men was seen
And above their shining weapons
Hung their own beloved green
Death to every foe and traitor!
Whistle loud the marching tune
And Hurrah! me boys for freedom
'Tis the rising of the moon
The rising of the moon
The rising of the moon
And Hurrah! me boys for freedom
'Tis the rising of the moon
The rising of the moon
The rising of the moon
And Hurrah! me boys for freedom
'Tis the rising of the moon

(Instrumental)