B
Like the lion tears the flesh off of a man
So can a woman who passes herself off as a male
They sang "Danny Boy" at his funeral and the Lord's Prayer
The preacher talked about Christ betrayed
E
It's like the earth just opened and swallowed him up
He reached too high, was thrown back to the ground
B
You know what they say about bein' nice
to the right people on the way up
Sooner or later you gonna meet them comin' down
B G#m
Yeah, there ain't no goin' back
E
when your foot of pride come down
B
Ain't no goin' back
Hear ya got a brother named James, don't forget faces or names Sunken cheeks, and his blood is mixed He looked straight into the sun and said revenge is mine, huh. But he drinks, and drinks can be fixed Sing me one more song, about your love-me-to-the-morning stranger And your fall by the sword love affair with Erroll Flynn in these times of compassion when conformity's in fashion Say one more stupid thing to me before the final nail is driven in.
Well, there ain't no goin' back when your foot of pride come down Ain't no goin' back
There's a retired businessman named Red, cast down from Heaven and he's out of his head He feeds off of everyone that he can touch He said he only deals in cash or sells tickets to a plane crash He's not somebody that you play around with much Miss Delilah is his, a Philistine is what she is She'll do wondrous works with your fate Feed you coconut bread, spiced buns in bed If you don't mind sleepin' with your head face down in a grave.
Well, there ain't no goin' back when your foot of pride come down Ain't no goin' back
Well they'll choose a man for you to meet tonight You'll play the fool and learn how to walk through doors How to enter into the gates of paradise? No! How to carry a burden too heavy to be yours. Yeah, from the stage they'll be tryin' to get water outta rocks A whore will pass the hat, collect a hundred grand and say thanks They like to take all this money from sin, build big universities to study in Sing "Amazing Grace" all the way to the Swiss banks
Well, there ain't no goin' back when your foot of pride come down Ain't no goin' back
They got some beautiful people out there, man They can be a terror to your mind and show you how to hold your tongue They got "Mystery" written all over their forehead They kill babies in the crib and say only the good die young They don't believe in mercy Judgment on them is something that you'll never see They can exalt you up or bring you down main route Turn you into anything that they want you to be
Well, there ain't no goin' back when your foot of pride come down Ain't no goin' back
Yes, I guess I loved him too, I can still see him in my mind, climbin' that hill Did he make it to the top, well he probably did and dropped Struck down by the strength of the will. Ain't nothin' left here, partner, just the dust of a plague that has left this whole town afraid From now on, this'll be where you're from Let the dead bury the dead. Your time will come Let hot iron blow as you raise the shade
Well, there ain't no goin' back when your foot of pride come down Ain't no goin' back
Version from Springtime in New York 1980–1985
They say the wife got the husband drunk,
but I don’t know, I wasn’t there,
I was visiting a friend in jail
They sang “Danny Boy” at his funeral
and the Lord’s Prayer
The preacher talked about Christ’s betrayal
Like the earth just opened and swallowed him up
That he reached too high
and tumbled back to the ground
Know what they say about bein’ nice
to the right people on the way up
Sooner or later you gonna meet them comin’ down
There ain’t no goin’ back
Ain’t no goin’ back
when your foot of pride come down
Ain’t no goin’ back
He had a brother named Paul,
you can find him at the Cafe Royal
where Miss Trixie plays and the reviews are mixed.
He’s on the border line,
says revenge is mine,
but he drinks, and drinks can be fixed
Sing me one more song about whiskey heaven
And your old cold-blooded love affair with Erroll Flynn
in these times of compassion
where conformity’s in fashion
Say one more stupid thing to me
before the final nail is driven in.
Aaaaaaand the foot of pride come down
Ain’t no goin’ back
You know the slave trades bloom
at the [Motor stampal] room
Where a tired businessman named Red
infects everyone he’s touched
He gives money to the church,
foundations for research,
He’s not somebody you can play around with much
There’s Miss Rosetta Black
if you’re on the deep side of the track,
she’s rough to look at, but she’s straight
She’ll feed you coconut bread,
spiced buns in bed,
and forget everything you said,
you won’t have to worry ‘bout
sleepin’ with your face in the plate.
Well, it doesn’t come back, too late back,
when the foot of pride come down
Ain’t no goin’ back
You gonna arrange to see a man tonight
who’ll tell you some secret things
you think may open some doors.
How to enter in the bloody gates of Paradise? No!
How to go crazy from a carrying a burden
that’s never meant to be yours.
Some of them thieves, [some suckle]
be doing the bumps and the grind
A whore will pass the hat,
collect a hundred grand and say thanks
They like to take all his money from sin,
build big businesses to do experiments in,
Sing “Amazing Grace” all the way to the Swiss banks
Yeah, there ain’t no goin’ back,
ain’t no goin’ back
when that foot of pride come down
Ain’t no goin’ back
They got some serious people in the visible world,
they can ring your bell
and show you how to hold your tongue.
They don’t come to [Parliament],
They kill babies in the crib
and say only the good die young
They don’t believe in mercy
Judgment on them is something you’ll never see
Turn you into the Devil’s daughter,
or lead you straight into the valley of slaughter
and you’ll still be thinking
that you’re the same person you used to be
Yeah, but there ain’t no goin’ back
when the foot of pride come down
Ain’t no goin’ back
Yes, I loved him too,
I can still see him in my mind,
climbin’ up that hill.
Hope he made it to the top,
but he probably didn’t and had to stop.
Anyway, it don’t matter and it never will.
Ain’t nothin’ left here, partner,
just the dust of [spoofs] that have left their mark in space.
From now on, this’ll be where you’re from
Let the dead bury the dead. Your time will come
Feel that hot iron blowin’ as you raise the shade
Ah, there ain’t no goin’ back,
ain’t no goin’ back
when the foot of pride come down
Ain’t no goin’ back