Hellfire Hymns

There’s a dust storm formin’ in the sky
Blowin’ down the road ’bout twelve feet high
It’s tearin’ up my lungs it burns my eyes
Take off your dress, put on your face
I’m feelin’ wild

We’ll spend the dough you’re saving in that jar
Ignore the screams a comin’ from the car
Let’s forget we’re miserable and poor
Take off your face, put on your dress
I’m feelin’ wild

How many hours do I have left with you?
Before old Revelations does come true
We’ve gotta find ourselves something to do
Take off your dress, put on your face
I’m feelin’ wild

You know that shed behind old Miller’s pond?
I stole the key last time he sold us corn
The light within it shines so fuckin’ warm
Take off your face, put on your dress
I’m feelin’ wild

There’s a dust storm formin’ in the sky
Blowin’ down the road ’bout twelve feet high
It’s tearing up my lungs it burns my eyes
Take off your dress, put on your face
I’m feelin’ wild

Gotta find my baby
’Fore the day is through Lord
Goin’ down to the old shed
Where she used to hide Lord

Oh Lord where she been?
Where my baby been?
Oh Lord, oh Lord
Where she been? Where she been?
It’s getting late, past suppertime
And my baby still ain’t in

If there’s no truth comin’ from your tongue
John Henry’s gonna swoop down from the sun
He’s gonna tell me everything you done
John Henry’s gonna swoop down from the sun
Old John, Old John

If there’s a sin hangin’ over your head
John Henry’s gonna crawl right outta that shed
He’s gonna point out every lie you said
John Henry’s gonna crawl right outta that shed
Old John Old John
Then will his hammer fall
If there’s a fear living in your brain
John Henry’s gonna slither ’neath the tracks of that train
He’s gonna tell me why you’re to blame
John Henry’s gonna slither ’neath the tracks of that train
Old John, Old John

If there’s a secret in your flesh
John Henry’s gonna burst right outta your chest
He’s gonna reveal what he deems best
John Henry’s gonna burst right outta your chest
Old John Old John
Then will his hammer fall

If you wanna see a man
With a lotta bad luck
Honey just look over at me
If you wanna see a man
Who the Good Lord damned
Look at my face you will see
God damned
God damned
God damned me

When I was born
I come out upside down
And I ain’t never been turned around
I been wandering this town
But everyone I meet
Lives sick and alone
On a dead end street
God damned
God damned
God damned me

I got no job
I got no wealth
I got nothin’ but myself
And I ain’t nothin’
To write home about friend
I’m just another guy
On the losin’ end
God damned
God damned
God damned me

But that old Jesus better make it up to me
Up to me
Up to me
I said old Jesus better make it up to me
When I go and die

I don’t fear Satan
And I don’t fear God
Six feet of coal black dirt man
That’s all I want
Behold the Black Sheep of the Bible Belt

They call me worthless
And they say I’m doomed
But I can pray more fiercely
Than any Christian in this room
Behold the Black Sheep of the Bible Belt

Why don’t you save your prayers for Sunday?
I don’t believe there’s only one way
To Heaven
My soul is famished man
I can feel it pokin’ through my skin
Watch the doves they die of hunger
When they see me passin’ under
Behold the Black Sheep of the Bible Belt

The gals ignore me
The men they kick me
Everyone turns so cold hearted
When they get holy

I said the men ignore me
And the gals they kick me
Everyone turns so cold hearted
When they get holy
Behold the Black Sheep of the Bible Belt

Why don’t you save your prayers for Sunday?
I don’t believe there’s only one way
To Heaven

Have I been faithful?
Yes Lord!
Have I been sober?
Yes Lord!
Have I shunned evil?
Yes Lord!
And hog tied the devil?
Yes Lord!

Then why do I suffer
And why do I stumble?
Why are there demons
Around every corner
And why don’t I have
A home or a mother?
Why must I wander
And steal to live?
You trample the poor
And you reward the rich
I don’t know what I can
Do or say next
I want Redemption
Like all of the rest
I’m tired of bathing
In Heaven’s cold piss

But have I been faithful?
Yes Lord!

A drunkard lay on the barroom floor
He drunk ’til he could not drink no more
He went to sleep with a troubled brain
And dreamt he was on
The Hellbound Train Υ

The train if flew at an awful pace
The brimstone a-burning both hands and face
And worse and worse the roadbed grew
And faster and faster the engine flew

He blowed the whistle and rung the bell
And the Devil said
Boys the next stop is Hell!
And all the passengers yelled in pain
And begged the Devil to stop the train

But the Devil laughed at their misery
He hollered and roared and yelled with glee
You’ve paid your fare with the rest of my load
And you’ve got to ride to the end of the road

You robbed the weak and done wrong to the poor
Turned hungry folks away from your door
You’ve laid up gold ’til your purses bust
And ruined young gals with your beastly lust

You’ve mocked at God in your stubborn pride
You’ve murdered and killed and cheated and lied
You’ve double crossed partners and cussed and stole
You belong to me both body and soul

Your bones will burn in the flames that roar
You’ll scorch and sizzle from rind to core
Then the barroom rang with an awful scream
As the drunkard awoke from his terrible dream

Down on his knees on the barroom floor
He prayed as he never had prayed before
His prayers and vows they were in vain
For his soul was doomed to the Hellbound Train

The beast has got a hold of me
And I don’t even care to scream
His claws are tearing through my shoulder
Fuck this town, fuck that girl
I’m tired of living like a fool
I’m gonna leave this place behind
There’s gotta be something better than this

Yesterday I broke my hand
Punching through the wall
I don’t remember why I did it
And I’m too poor to get it set
That’s my life this kind of shit
And same with all my friends it ain’t no different
There’s gotta be something better than this

To the Lord above I pray
I swear I do most everyday
And sometimes I think I hear Him answer
But most the time he turns away
Tired of my wicked ways
I’m tired of Him too it ain’t no secret
There’s gotta be something better than this

Now I’ve been askin’
Since the sun come up
What do you expect from me?
And I’ve been doin’
Just what everyone tells me
What do you expect from me?
And I’m tired of this, man
I’ve gotta ruin my life on my own
I’ve gotta ruin my life on my own

Now I went down to old Preacher John
And said what do you expect from me?
I said I’m leaving this life I know
I’m leavin’ it all to Hell you see
He said But why friend?
You’ve got everything you could need
You’ve got everything you could need

I said Yeah I’ve got everything I need
But I ain’t got nothin’ I want
What do you expect from me?
He said well just settle down
Find a steady job
What do you expect from me?
I said I can’t man
I’ve gotta ruin my life on my own
I’ve gotta ruin my life on my own
I said I’ve gotta ruin my life on my own

Darlin’ darlin’ darlin’
I’ve got blood on my hands
I hope it ain’t from you
I hope it ain’t from you

Vultures circle round
Every place that I go
I beat ’em off with a stick
I beat ’em off with a stick

Sometimes my mind goes blank
And I just can’t think straight

I took up drinkin’ whiskey
’Cause it made me feel sick
It made me feel sick
It made me feel sick
Now it is the only thing
I drink anymore
Drink anymore
Oh I drink anymore

I stole all the money
I could fit in my pockets
Stole it for you
Yes I stole it for you
Then I went to find you
But you weren’t around
You weren’t around
No you weren’t around

Sometimes my mind goes blank
And I just can’t think straight

Darlin’ darlin’ darlin’
I’ve got blood on my hands
I hope it ain’t from you
I hope it ain’t from you

I’m gonna raise my daddy from the dead
Just like that ol’ fella Lazarus
I’m gonna drive to the country
In my Cadillac to the Lonesome Family Graveyard

I’ve got a quart of whiskey
And I’ve got a quart of blood
And those are the ingredients
Of Resurrection

I’m gonna raise my mamma from the dead
Just like that ol’ fella Lazarus
I’m gonna steal new shoes
And slick my hair
Make her real proud of me

I’ve got a quart of whiskey
And I’ve got a quart of blood
And those are the ingredients
Of Resurrection

I’m gonna raise this whole fuckin’ town
From the dead
Like ol’ Lazarus
I said Hallelujah

Jesus says come on back boy
Jesus says come on back
Jesus says come on back boy
Jesus says come on back
If the Devil comes a huntin’ son
Don’t turn your back
If the Devil comes a huntin’ son
Don’t turn your back
’Cause he’ll put your name on his contract
He’ll put your name on his contract
That’s why that’s why boy that’s why that’s why boy

Jesus says come on back boy
Jesus says come on back
Jesus says come on back boy
Jesus says come on back
If you hear a weepin’ in the forest boy
He won’t be long
If you hear a weepin’ in the forest boy
He won’t be long
And he’ll put your name on his contract
He’ll put your name on his contract
That’s why that’s why boy that’s why that’s why boy

Jesus says come on back boy
Jesus says come on back
Stay away from the forest boy

Well I was raised by Papa Misery
And Mama Guitar
I never had no place to call home
Except for the woods
Behind the pond
In the Backwoods
That’s where I’ve been livin’

Sister Mary and Brother Job they
Lost their homes in a big black flood
They moved to Georgia
But I didn’t follow
I stayed back home
To tend the farm

Got me a dog
He’s got no eyes
I cut ’em out ’cause
I thought he was watching me
So I got me a girl
She’s got no legs
I cut ’em off so
She wouldn’t go cheatin’

In the backwoods
That’s where I belong

Farewell Happy Fields
Hello evening train
So long Anna Brown
No more sleeping late
Let’s talk this over

My friend I’m on your side
Separate the soul and mind
Disintegrate those lasting ties
Then I’ll be yours and you’ll be mine
Let’s talk this over

Don’t mention suicide
There’s better ways to waste your time
The window’s shut the air is thin
If it happens once it’ll happen again
Let’s talk this over

Farewell happy fields
Hello evening train
So long Anna Brown
No more sleeping late
Let’s talk this over

The night was as black as
The cold eyes of Satan
And I was driving back home
Some kind of beast ran
In front of my car
So I swerved and ran into the trees
The pain of the glass
And the taste of my blood
Put my poor soul right to sleep

I guess I got lost on the way

If I wasn’t here now
I’d be there with you
Laughin’ at the dead
But I’ve gotta tell you
Dyin’ ain’t as funny
As you said it would be
So if I make it through this
I’m gonna find you
And show you just how it feels

I guess I got lost on the way

The beast he is here now
Scratchin’ the door
Don’t he know that I saved
his poor life?
Or maybe he knows
But he don’t seem to care
It don’t look like he’s eaten for years
I can smell smoke and feel the hot fire
Looks like this car’s ’bout to blow

I guess I got lost on the way

Boards on all the windows
Main Street’s closed down
All the trees are empty
Everything is gone

Everything is gone
Everything is gone
Something terrible happened
Everything is gone

The dam is cracked and crumbling
The cars are rotted brown
The sheep they have no shepherd
Everything is gone

Everything is gone
Everything is gone
Something terrible happened
Everything is gone

No more endless worry
No more snake tongued friends
All of us are poor now
We’re finally at the end

Everything is gone
Everything is gone
Something terrible happened
Everything is gone