Jethro Tull - A Passion play 2

[Luca Canetti]

We
Sleep by the ever-bright hole in the door
Eat in the corner
Talk to the floor – cheating the spiders
Who come to say «Please», (politely)
They bend at the knees
Well I’ll go to the foot of our stairs
Old gentlemen talk
Of when they were young
Of ladies lost, of erring sons
Lace-covered dandies revel (with friends)
Pure as the truth – tied at both ends
Well I’ll go to the foot of our stairs
Scented cathedral – spire pointed down
We pray for souls in Kentish Town
A delicate hush – the gods
Floating by
Wishing us well – pie in the sky
God of ages
Lord of time – mine is the right to be wrong
Well I’ll go to the foot of our stairs
Jack rabbit mister – spawn a new breed
Of love hungry pilgrims (no bodies to feed)
Show me a good man and I’ll show you the door
The last hymn is sung and the devile cries «More»
Well, I’m all for leaving, and that being done,
I’ve put in a request to take up my turn
In that forsaken paradise that calls itself «Hell» -
Where no-one has nothing and nothing is well
Meaning fool pick up thy bed and rise up from
Your gloom smiling
Give me your hate and do as the loving heathen do
Colours I’ve none – dark or light, red, white or blue
Cold is my touch (freezing)
Summoned by name – I am the overseer over you
Given this command to watch o’er our miserable sphere
Fallen from grace
Called on to bring sun or rain
Occasional corn from my oversight grew
Fell with mine angels from a far better place
Offering services for the saving of face
Now you’re here, you may as well admire
All whom living has retired from the benign reconciliation
Legends were born surrounding mysterious lights
Seen in the sky (flashing)
I just
Lit a fag then
Took my leave in the blink ofan eye
Passionate play – join round the maypole in dance
(Primitive right) (wrongly)
Summoned by name I am
The overseer
Over you
Flee the icy Lucifer
Oh, he’s an awful fellow!
What a mistake!
I didn’t take a feather from his pillow
Here’s the everlasting rub: neither am I good nor bad
I’d give you my halo for the hat I once had
I’m only breathing
There’s life on my ceiling
The flies there are sleeping quietly
Twist my right arm in the dark
I would give two or three for one of those days that
Never made impressions on the old score
I would gladly be a dog barking up the wrong tree
Everyone’s saved – we’re in the grave
See you there for afternoon tea
Time for awaking – the tea lady’s
Making a brew and
Baking new bread
Pick me up at half past none – there’s
Not a moment to lose. There is
The train on which I came
On the platform are my old shoes
Station master rings his bell
Whistles blow and flags wave
A little of what you fancy does you good
(Or so it should)
I thank everybody for making me welcome
I’d stay but my wings have just dropped off
Hail! Son of kings
Make ever-dying sound
Cross your fingers in the sky for those about to BE
There am I waiting along the sand
Cast your sweet spell upon the land and sea
Magus Perde, take your hand from off the chain
Loose a wish to still
The rain
The storm about to BE
Here am I (voyager into life)
Tough are the soles that tread the knife’s edge
Break the circle
Stretch the line
Call upon the devil
Bring
The gods
The gods’ own fire
In the conflict revel
The passengers
On the ferry crossing
Waiting to be born
Renew the pledge of life’s long song
Rise to the reveille horn
Animals
Queueing at the gate that stands upon the shore
Breathe the ever-burning fire that guards the ever-door
Man
Son of man
Buy the flame of ever-life (yours to breathe and breath the pain of living):
Living BE
Here am I! Roll the stone away from the dark into ever-day
There was a rush
Along the Fulham Road
Into the ever-Passion play.