The Tyger

The Tyger

Fifteen men on a coffin ship, all walk tall before they slip
Fall into a hell somewhere, never come back up for air
Tyger, tyger burning bright, he don’t give up without a fight
If you’ve been through the needle’s eye, life gets weird on the other side

On Tuesday when the Earth stood still, the jungle burned of its own free will
The sky rained fire and roofing tar, whiskey boiled right in the jar
Convicts broke out and ran away, their feet got stuck in melting clay
Panic rang from mission bells, lava flowed from wishing wells

A shadow passed across the sun, a marching band, a fife and drum
A dragon and a wheel on fire, angels singing in a flaming choir
In the woods stood a naked church where the thirsty went to die of thirst
The hands were broke on all the clocks, crickets were living in the beggars box

Across the road at the Thunderdome, zombies danced in the catacombs
Women squirming on fire poles, yuppies drooling like jellyrolls
Speakers pound a throbbing sound, cheap champagne watered down
Samoan bouncer at the door, money sticking to the concrete floor

Through a glass of Ripple wine my fingers looked like Frankenstein’s
Face was withered gray and old, eyes were **** holes in the snow
I escaped in the nick of time, honor was a major crime
A reckless world, a noisy place, freedom wore an ugly face

The safest place was the Everglades, the natives all drank lemonade
They had no need to work all day, the chickens all laid deviled eggs
In the land of Father Time, freedom is a state of mind
Another world, a better place where honor is a state of grace

Rats will run from a burning house and they’re gone before the smoke gets out
Men ignore that crackling sound, laugh like clowns while the house burns down
Tyger, tyger burning bright, rage against the dying light
I’ve been through that needle’s eye and I won’t give up before I die

Tyger, tyger burning bright, rage against the dying light
I’ve been through that needle’s eye and I won’t give up before I die