Bonus Tracks:
Produced and arranged by Gary Lucas.
VAMPIRE CIRCUS Come on down to the killing ground Selling your birthright by the pound Selling your searchlight for a mess of pottage Give up the ghost and turn up the wattage Come on down! come on down! Caught in the sway and the push and pull Every day turning animal Hiding your face in the cotton wool You feel a void 'cause you're never full Come on down...come on down...come on down... To vampire circus Come on down...come on down...come on down... Where you know where the work is It's dog eat dog eat god on the half shell Not be moved by the cry of a rebel yell Tale oe a whale oe a tail of a tub Hatchin' and scratchin' a vision of beelzebub Come on down...come on down...come on down... To vampire circus Come on down...come on down...come on down... Where satan's fiery smirk is One night of fright, eternity of bliss So turn your head for the vampire's kiss Now suck on this Allemande high and allemande low Genuflect circumspect hit the deck slow Mating dance for an old kind of purpose Yr now a donor in the vampire circus Come on down! come on down! Heart made of beef and a heart getting harder Bought and sold get it cold straight from the larder Come on down...come on down...come on down... To vampire circus Come on down...come on down...come on down... Where you know how they jerk us Steal from the african take from the redman Deal with the hooligan and keep out the jews Trade 'em for wampum melt 'em down to saddle soap Just so you know what the good people do Come on down...come on down...come on down... To vampire circus Come on down...come on down...come on down... Where you know how the work is Dracula's guest, daughter oe horror Like a thief in the night the rich become poorer I speak the truth and I don't speak in jest It's such a drag to end up dracula's guest Morgan...come out...come out... &Copy 1994 words and music by Gary Lucas as sung by Gary Lucas,
from the Gary Lucas album Bad Boys Of The Arctic top of page
SKIN THE RABBIT Cities are shaken The sky is falling Walk in the blue fields Wild seed blowing Skin the rabbit Snatch and grab it Skin the rabbit Make it habit Flies buzz the highest hill Obsidian crumblin' Wake to the blue fields While heaven comes tumblin' down, down Skin the rabbit Kiss the fur and feel the light Dark hare of the night Join the feast...feed the beast The blood is calling Skin the rabbit Snatch and grab it Skin the rabbit Go and bag it Let your mind drive freely Stop my world from turning Walk in the blue fields The forest is burning Skin the rabbit © 1990 words and music: Gary Lucas and Rolo McGlnty as sung by Rolo McGinty,
from the Gary Lucas album Gods And Monsters top of page
POISON TREE Mind split, darkness tripled Tree unfurled, branches rippled And spread its banner for all to see Come and dance around the poison tree Poison Tree (4X) Tree of life bears bitter fruit Harvest yields the iron boot A seed is sown and grows, now see All gather round the poison tree Poison Tree (4X) Come all ye fair and tender frail Seeking out the holy graIl There's but one truth will set you free Swing your partner round the poison tree Poison Tree (4X) Snake awakes and glides to the side Allowing God to run and hide But Eve and Adam won't let him be Curled fast around the poison tree Poison Tree (4X) © 1990 words and music: Gary Lucas as sung by Mary Margaret O'Hara,
from the Gary Lucas album Gods And Monsters top of page
OUT FROM UNDER Look over yonder Out from under Don't you wonder Never fear Holy thunder Out from under Out from under And up from here When I was just a kid you know my daddy said to me Music's just the thing my girl and singing's just the key I heard a voice inside my head Singing till my face turned red And now i've got the power Here to set you free Ripped asunder Out from under Don't you wonder What's to fear Lift me yonder Out from under Out from under And up from here When I got out from under I was hanging by my thumbs The schoolyard torn and plundered waiting for what ever comes The writing on the wall spoke tall And so I had to chuck it all I'm sailing down the seaway now Just listen to me hum Set me to ponder Out from under Set me to wander Far from here Rise over yonder Out from under And up from here (repeat first verse) © 1994 words and music by Gary Lucas as sung by Sonya Cohen,
from the Gary Lucas album Bad Boys Of The Arctic top of page
EXIT, PURSUED BY A BEAR Shook, shaken and stirred By the Holy Word Where's the fire next time There'll be a bed of quick lime (repeat) So Exit, Pursued by a Bear The wind and the wellies The stars in your hair No Exit, Pursued by a Bear A pink hostess twinkie So that they know that you care That craven jackanapes The foul fiend doth come around Bringing off the youngest ones While bringing everybody else down At tendaroni junction You can hear him make that sound A low slung greasy whistle Wrestles you right to the ground (repeat chorus) "Where's my drink?" Shouts Plutarch Retiring for the night "I can't think straight no more There's too much for my sight The lives of saints and sinners The poisoned dagger serpent's bite The plucking touching hand Of man and woman born of light" (repeat first verse and chorus) © 1994 words and music by Gary Lucas as sung by Dina Emerson,
from the Gary Lucas album Bad Boys Of The Arctic top of page
THE BRAIN FROM PLANET EROS I am the brain from planet eros Turning down a gasp of life In the tank the bubbles quicken I wanna see new york tonight! A young man dies outside a 7-11 He faced his phobias on his own I am the brain from planet eros A message on your answer phone The city shimmers to the right side of the brain The sky is dark and the water light I am the brain from planet eros Show me new york tonight! Don't go out in the cold stark naked I'll abuse your appetites I am the brain from planet eros I wanna see new york tonight! &Copy 1991 music by Gary Lucas, words by Gary Lucas and Jon Langford as sung by Jon Langford, from
the Gary Lucas album "GODS AND MONSTERS" (Lucas living room version)
and The Killer Shrews album (studio version) top of page
JERICHO I hear the sound of a thousand fingers Snap in the void where the air is cold I hear the throb of a thousand singers Rise in the gloom down in Jericho Once there was life now there's silence spoken Haunting the plains and the boneyard low Dance past the walls all sweetly broken Kingdom has come down in Jericho You keep saying that's the way to go Caught in the middle down in Jericho Just when you're thinking that it's safe to blow Blind dumb and deaf down in Jericho Where there's a will there's a way to travel Take what you need with the urge to go Visit the site where the world unraveled Hung in the dust down in Jericho You keep saying that's the way to show Lost in the fog down in Jericho Just when you're feeling that there's more to know Caught in the past down in Jericho Singers and players now approach the altar Listen and learn what the history shows Keep playing hard don't ever falter Make the walls fall down in Jericho © 1994 words and music by Gary Lucas as sung by Sonya Cohen,
from the Gary Lucas album Bad Boys Of The Arctic top of page
WHIP NAMED LASH The temperature's rising--it's winner take all You crawl through the quick sand You stumble and fall Now the bird's in the bush And his cheek's in the trash You're on the end of a whip A whlp named lash She picks you up easy And throws you down hard You walk through her wasteland Thrice humbled and scarred Then she lays it out sleazy And shows you the gash She's on the end of a whip A whip named lash If you want to look inside If you want to pry real hard Peaking ln pandora's box Do you want to play that card? Out where the dust blows dry Come taste the open sky Marching to the sound of Children's songs Lullabyes Life and death Come praise his name As you draw your last Breath Now the atmosphere's flaming--it's coming to boil Mirage in the desert The blood of the soil Now the gods at the gate Getting ready to bash They're on the end of a whip A whip named lash Come on now first to fade Come join the mad parade As we march along, proud Singing loud Singing strong we pray God speed Our slow decay © 1991 words and music: Gary Lucas as sung by Rolo McGinty,
from the Gary Lucas album Gods And Monsters top of page
AFTER STRANGE GODS Around the world Around the horn The cup is filled The lamb is born Into a flock A herd a show Of hands now please Mind how you go... After the climb Before the fall You feel a chill The hounds all call You yesterday They daily plod And hurry now After Strange Gods After Strange Gods Outside the pearl Inside the song Remains the same Until it's gone So take up fast Thy staff and rod And hurry now After Strange Gods After Strange Gods © 1994 words and music by Gary Lucas as sung by Dina Emerson,
from the Gary Lucas album Bad Boys Of The Arctic top of page