To the Dogs or Whoever

Deep in the belly of a whale I found her Down with the deep blue jail around her Running her hands through the ribs of the dark Florence and Calamity and Joan of Arc I love the way she looks in her underwear I lose my page then the plot then the book then I swear She makes the most of her time by loving me plenty She knows there'll come a day when we won't be getting any The stain of the sepia the butcher Crimea Through the wreck of a brass band I thought I could see her In a cakewalk she came through the dead and the lame Just a little bird floating on a hurricane I was flat on my back with my feet in the thorns I was in between the apples and the chloroform She came to me often I was sure I was dying It was always hard to tell if she was laughing or crying I thought I heard somebody calling In the dark I thought I heard somebody call Joan never cared about the in-betweens Combed her hair with a blade did the Maid of Orleans Said Christ walked on water we can wade through the war You don't need to tell me who the fire is for Oh bring me the love that can sweeten a sword A boat that can love the rocks or the shore The love of the iceberg reaching out for a wreck Can you love me like the crosses love the nape of the neck? Was it Casey Jones or Casey at the Bat Who died out of pride and got famous for that Killed by a swerve laid low by the curve Do you ever think they ever thought they got what they deserved Pity the bullet and pity the man Who both find their place in the same sad plan Who both are like the barrel going over the falls Crying all the way down I never asked to be involved I thought I heard somebody calling In the dark I thought I heard somebody call General George began the day by taking pink little pills Sent his men to the top of some hell of a hill Through the whisper of trees came artillery breeze He said I love the way the wind comes a'tickling my knees Jane shot the apple right between the eyes I was thinking of her when you came outside Lemonade on your breath sun in your hair Did I mention how I love you in your underwear? Deep in the belly of a whale I found her Down with the deep blue jail around her Running her hands through the ribs of the dark Florence and Calamity and Joan of Arc I thought I heard somebody calling In the dark I thought I heard somebody call