Ghoultown

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All lyrics by Lyle Blackburn. ©SpiderCrab Music (ASCAP)

BEST OF THE DEAD WEST

devil, liquor and gunsmoke

on a lonely night in Texas in 1862
hell descended on my town when I was 22
outlaws raged across the land they killed my wife and child
slaughtered all the livestock was nothing left alive

lying in the rain and mud I drew my final breath
a man appeared before me I thought that he was death
he smiled just like a serpent but he was old and wise
he lit a match and had a smoke and looked me in the eyes

listen to me boy and listen to me well
I’ve got deal to offer you and I brought it straight from hell
you can have your vengeance I’ll spare you from the grave
just send me souls of evil men ‘cause that is what I crave

chorus:
the devil, liquor, and gunsmoke on my breath
a trail of vengeance until I find my death
my hands are lightening, my eyes are filled with hate
the devil, liquor, and gunsmoke are my fate

through burning pain and gritted teeth
I signed the deal with him
now I’m a gun of judgment huntin’ those who sinned
my gun is never empty its bullets are on fire
my penance stare will light ‘em up just like a burning pyre
so I ride but never sleep my spirit knows no rest
outlaws run in fear of the demon in my chest
the plains of mighty Texas have never seen my kind
when I’m done I’ll rid the earth of every outlaw kind

the devil, liquor, and gunsmoke on my breath
a trail of vengeance until I find my death
my hands are lightening, my eyes are filled with hate
I can’t turn back it’s far far too late
the devil, liquor, and gunsmoke on my breath
a trail of vengeance until I find my death
my hands are lightening, my eyes are filled with hate
the devil, liquor, and gunsmoke are my fate

SINGLES

evil eye

there's a black cat in the street the number 13
crack in the mirror bad omens in threes
don't cross our path oh baby don’t you ever try
don't cross our path oh baby we've got that evil eye

chorus:
evil eye that evil eye
don't cross our path that evil eye

bad luck is coming your way don't tempt the hands of fate
you better pass on by me avoid my gaze
don't cross our path oh baby darkness never dies
don't cross our path oh baby we've got the evil eye

the cards have fallen now the dead man's hand
one look into these eyes oh ooo whoa you're dead

where voodoo sleeps

seven days from Halloween in the year of ‘91
I met a girl whose witchy ways caught me with her touch
we rode the nights beyond the fetters of our chains
to a land upon the coast where magic burns like flames

chorus:
New Orleans bound
that’s where we can be found
among the ghosts and the graves and the voodoo queens
she comes to me in a fever dream
riding southern winds for eternity
in the land where voodoo sleeps
in the land where voodoo sleeps

revelry upon the streets where faces paint the night
we tipped the drinks and laughed the laugh until the morning light
then to the shadows we returned within our tryst
as magic swells an ageless spell upon our haunted kiss

we were bathed in the moonlight fires where rituals are sung
we were bound in the crimson flames where lovers melt as one
feeling so alive inside the heat of our embrace
on the sultry midnight coast the passion comes in waves

by the lantern light

autumn has fallen, spirits are callin
the harvest closing in

sinister faces, skeletal traces
a chill is in the air

whoa ohh ohhh

haunted places, evil embraces
devils drawing near

the fading twilight, the rise of moonlight
all hallows eve is here

whoa ohh ohhh

chorus:
it's the season of the witch
the dawning of the dead
all hallow's eve
darkest of nights
shadows come to life
in the lantern light
rebirth in my soul
let's ride tonight

by the lantern light

walking corpses, unholy forces
hide behind a mask

ghostly voices, hoofbeats of horses
let the night begin

whoa ohh ohhh

Badlands

there’s a fire in the sky on devil’s night
hundreds I can see upon their restless steeds

they’re gonna ride to the border of Mexico
it’s do or die, their torches held up high

chorus:
it’s the badlands
where dead men tell no tales
and the wind it tolls no bells
where heaven meets hell
and the night it screams and wails

hear the sound of the coyotes’ moan
in this god forsaken desert home
where blackened shadows hide the bones
of all the lost and wayward souls

they’re gonna ride hard upon the sands
take their chance in this no man’s land

Bullets Don’t Argue

a crow flies the western sky
the twitching of a nervous eye
the clicking of a chambered round
another body hits the ground

rider on a desert plain
a killer on a southbound train
blood stain on the setting sun
another hero bites the dust

a coffin full of dollars
don’t a rich man make
when you’re lying dead and lifeless
make no mistake
when it’s all said and done
who has lost or won?

chorus:
take me dead or alive
your life ain’t worth the price
take me dead or alive
bullets don’t argue
you’ll lay down your life

a lonely howl in the night
a shadow in the firelight
the echo of a deadman’s tune
a card that spells certain doom

a shot of whiskey in a jar
vendettas that have gone too far
another dollar to be made
another bounty to be paid

a coffin full of dollars
don’t a rich man make
when you’re lying dead and lifeless
make no mistake
when it’s all said and done
who has lost or won?

Heads You Die, Tails I Kill You

when your life spins on the floor
hail the gift from the master of the wicked world
if you walk in a no-man’s land
don’t take a chance on a losing bet, yeah

the hands of fate are tied and bound
your fortune fades with a laughing sound
toss the coin in the air
ahh ahh

chorus:
heads you die
tails I kill you

if you live your life on the edge
there’s no remorse and no regrets, yeah
there’s always two sides of a coin to choose
ain’t no way to win when you’re born to lose, yeah

time to shake the hand of doom
your time is up like the waning moon
the coin it spins in the air
ahh ahh

flip the coin

Leave You in the Dust

see the wheels, they roll like the heads
of yesterday’s promises blown in the wind
here I am, adrift and alone
a casualty of silent ways and words never spoke

chorus:
the world is hard and the winds are cruel
you think you’ve won when you played the fool
full speed ahead, my life won’t rust
I’ll hit the road
and leave you in the dust

feel the wheels, they burn like the sun
on sands of the past where you chose to run
there you go, body and soul
distant in anguish, buried in gold

chorus:
the world is hard and the winds are cruel
you say you’re done and I am the fool
full speed ahead, my life ain’t bust
I’ll hit the road
and leave you in the dust

chorus:
the world is hard and the winds are cruel
you think you’ve won when you played the fool
full speed ahead, my life won’t rust
I’ll hit the road and leave you in the dust
hit the road and leave you in the dust
hit the road and leave you in the dust

Trail of the Snake

snakes they crawl into our lives
among us all they slither and writhe
making their way through the ages of time

they crawl from holes in the ground
where the sun could never be found
their venom it flows from an endless well

chorus:
if you swing from the gallows
if you hang by the road [what price will you pay?]
you ain’t a saint or a sinner
just a man without soul [soul]
if you trade a dollar
for a handful of hate [what is it worth to you?]
just carry on
down the trail of the snake

they come in the form of a friend
turn your back and they will descend
draining your life to the very end

they prey on smiles of a child
have their way with the lost and the wild
don’t look in their eyes they’re black pools of evil

their wicked fangs aim to betray
stay away from the trail of the snake
they’ll leave you cold, all alone
don’t let them crawl into your home

The Worm

belly up to the bar & give me shot of your best stuff
cause this dust in my throat is turning to brick
make it some of that mexican mojo
you’ve got hidden there down below

I can hear him callin, I can hear him beg
drink me like the water from this desert land
I don’t need no chaser, I don’t need no lime
just tip the glass and let that motherfucker fly

glass in one hand, flesh in the other
queen of the night on the day of the dead
let’s raise the bottle and wager a boast
who gets to have this heavenly host

chorus:
worm (x3)

as I look out across the bar’s hollow gut
rafters climb the walls like rib bones
sultry dancers move like cobras
to the sound of a skeleton band

I can hear him whisper, I can hear him call
every poker player in this dirty hall
he’s the garden viper, he’s the mongrel’s teeth
hair of the dog baby is all you need

cards in one hand, glass in the other
drink up tomorrow we might be dead
god’s little children are howlin like ghosts
come to wet their grave-thirsty throats

remember the worm, the promise he keeps
bullfighters die and women weep
break out the bottle and I’ll show you what I mean
sell your soul for smoke and a drink
place your little lips around the neck
swallow the worm baby I’m your man

Night of No Tomorrows

I remember the day when waves of blackness
filled my sorrowed head
I was a hit by a cloud in a clear blue sky
striking overhead
no thunder, no warning, one minute to the next everything had changed
the rain poured down like a wall of tears
flooding in my veins

she came to me not long ago, autumn in her eyes
I remember the night so clearly now, I was mesmerized
her black dress flowed like a mourning veil
as she walked out of a dream
and in her face an angel’s grace
like nothin I’d ever seen

chorus:
now she’s gone
whoa whoa whoa she’s gone
night of no tomorrows

on city streets and delta roads
we traveled far and wide
where she fell into my arms
and laid down by my side
we listened to the morning birds
whose cries were nevermore
and laughed into the deepest night
upon the misty moors

I stand in the dark on a night of no tomorrows
lost in the fog on the shores of hollow sorrows
search for the light in the black of empty spaces
I yearn with a fear in my heart

now a rock of heavy sadness weighs inside of me
so that when they bury me beneath that river tree
my blood and bones will turn to dust
and slowly wash away
and all that’s left there is that stone
of sorrowful remains

Cursed

on a night just like tonight
when the moon is full and bright
that’s when we come ridin to your town

we cross the bridge undead
like horsemen without heads
dealin out a deadly dose of sound

echoes of doom
rise from the tomb

chorus:
we’re cursed we’re cursed
to play by the devil’s hand
guitars under his spell
we’re cursed we’re cursed
six-string vendetta
listen to our music wail

we walk upon your streets
like poison from a sting
scorpions from the mouth of hell

at the point of no return
where bodies start to burn
our witchery consumes you with its spell

phantom guitars
sound the alarm

it was long ago
we met him on the road
we made a deal and in our blood we signed

now you hear the screams
from our haunted strings
our blackened souls forever in this bind

phantom guitars
sound the alarm

there’s only debt to pay
in darkness we must play
or by morning take his prize
Satan’s eyes never lie
leave our souls to die

Running From the Sun

she came without a kiss
blood stains upon her wrists so cold
she said take me home

her dress fell to the floor
come close my virgin whore
take it slow, the darkness grows

I am the nameless
eternal pain prince
I am the day’s forgotten one

chorus:
running from the sun

morning flame it burns in her
a price for love at every turn
she said, I think I’m dead

now I take my dying bride
on eternal nightwing ride she flies
away from life

I am the darkest
lover’s secret
I am the snake’s scarlet tongue

I am your prince of pain
I will be your everything
turn you inside out
steal the words from in your mouth
in darkness we are one, hidden from the sun
where we listen to them wail
as I take you away from your yellow hell
running from the sun

Eldorado

a mystic vision haunts my soul
it’s burned into my breast
a glimmer of a golden life
beyond this endless quest

I’ve searched for it so far and wide
across the shadowed land
and when I’d reached that hallowed ground
it disappeared again... like Eldorado

Eldorado

for all my life I’ve sought the things
that others dared to dream
I’ve conquered distant mountains
and I’ve followed hidden streams

I’ve never let them stop me
from seeking what I need
my strength and dedication
is not a fool-man’s greed

'come and take it'
it calls me in the night
'come and take it'
some things are worth the fight

chorus:
Eldorado
the promise of your gold
Eldorado
your mark upon my soul

I ride the roads in sleepless hours
late into the night
I crossed the thirsty deserts
when morning brings the light

to find the rumored riches
hidden in your depths
like splendid spires of golden tears
that heaven surely wept

'come and take it'
it calls me in the night
'come and take it'
some things are worth the fight, the sacrifice

'come and take it'
'you’re here,' the shade replied
yet when I looked again
it vanished from my sight, into darkest night

chorus:
Eldorado
the ecstasy of gold
Eldorado
your mark upon my soul
your mark upon my soul

southern son

so long you’ve been waiting for this day
pull the reigns, break chains, it’s time to have your say
you’ve been running for so long
it’s time to stop and make a stand, steady and be strong

each day it grows a little darker
with each night misunderstood
ghost of the past still haunting you
it just goes on and on and on

chorus:
burn burn southern sky
you’ve got the fire of midnight in your eyes
burn burn southern son
soon they will know that you are the one

years gone, the future’s in the past
deeds are done, the time has come, now it’s moving fast
ride hard, the battery of hooves
striking distance, turn and face, time to take what’s yours

each day it grows a little harder
with each hour come to pass
sins of the father still following you
it just goes on and on and on

no one can ever hold you down
respect is all you ever need, listen to the crowd
fight on, the night has just begun
price to pay, don’t be afraid, it’s in your blood

each day it grows a little darker
with each night misunderstood
ghost of the past still haunting you
it just goes on and on and on

ghost of the past

there was a girl I knew from life not long ago
I took a walk with her along a winding road
we lost our way that day and she never made it back
her candle's burning still, but the world has turned to black

can you hear my earthly call?
I 'm still reeling from the fall

ghostly spirit now you haunt me every night
your apparition there in the last dim rays of light
you appear ethereal and chill me to the bone
victim of passion now you’re so far from home

you've got me gasping for some air
I reach to hold you you're not there

chorus:
angel of darkness
ghost of the past
haunt me deadly
ghost of the past
ghost of the past

when the night air sings and the fiery phoenix spreads her wings
I come to her in chains on my bended knee
her fading form is lost in the shadows of the night
eternal there she walks beyond my mortal life

spirit trapped inside my walls
I hear her moaning in the hall

devil’s comin round

lie down lie down
they say the devil’s comin round
all wicked men are gonna hang
it’s the law of the land
there’s a bounty on my head
and I hear him comin for me

I was drunk, it was dark
when I stabbed you right through the heart
I felt the wind, I felt the rain
I felt a chill down in my veins

there was black there was red
a feeling of dread
in those tears that were shed

no one ever knows
what darkness can hold
there ain’t no salvation in regret

chorus:
lie down lie down
they say the devil’s comin round
pray that he doesn’t come for me
he’s the law of the land
there’s a sixgun in his hand
lord, will I ever be set free?

I was born, a bastard son
like my mom, I had no love
my troubled life is all I had
only shame, pain and regret

there was black there was red
a feeling of dread
now I face the law of the land

in black and white
no question that night
there ain’t no raisin’ the dead

lie down lie down
they say the devil’s comin round
all wicked men are gonna hang
it’s the law of the land
there’s a bounty on my head
and I hear him comin for me

cuchillo

the desert sun burns hot
the taste of water gone from our lips
Sunday to Sunday we ride into danger
gone so long on this trip

so many miles we have roamed
out on an endless road
no family left to remember me
no woman waiting at home

chorus:
we are companions
we ride together like brothers
to conquer this hard road
wherever you go I will follow
no matter where it goes
where you go I will go
cuchillo

in the dying December
the cold works into our bones
so many miles we have traveled
lost but never alone

now that our youth has betrayed us
our faces belie the years
we’ve long ago forgotten
what the hell we are doing here

abandoned by the cause
so long we've been gone
searching some distant Eldorado
forgotten but not alone

I am the night

I am the night, despiser of light
I fall over you in the blink of an eye
the tunnel of love is flickering dim
as the blood in your veins is runnin so thin

shadows of body and soul
a command over life that no one else holds
I’m stained by the dirt of the grave
pray all you want but I won’t go away

twilight descending, I vanquish the sun
there’s nowhere to hide, nowhere to run
a demon of opiate dreams
you hear my whisper as loud as a scream

chorus:
I am the night
say your goodbyes
this is the hour
darkness devours
the pain
just call my name

I am the night, deceiver of sight
forever in darkness, death is denied
in the tunnel of love my rats make their home
we measure your worth by the flesh that you will sow

this omen of ill, you know it so well
know it by heart, by touch and by smell
I am the final demise
make no mistake when you gaze into my eyes

just call my name

black on black

of darkness I was born
in the lonely arms of doom
far from the heat of light
in a silent shuttered room

from ashes I arose
in shadows I was bred
by the wickedness of wolves
where angels fear to tread

I’m waiting for you

in blackness I survive
on living flesh and bone
singing hymns of discord
in a treachery of song

I’m waiting for you

chorus:
black on black
I carry the darkness on my back
black on black

locked away from the world
in a charnel house of pain
whispering your name
as I lie here in wait

from ashes I arose
in shadows I was bred
just look into my eyes
it’s evil without end

I’m waiting for you

blood, bullets, and whiskey

blood, bullets and whiskey

it’s Saturday night and we just got to town
feel like tearin it up tonight
got a two-way ticket on a one-way ride
gonna find me a bar, gonna find me a fight

chorus:
blood, bullets and whiskey

everybody’s drinking, two shots down
make a double so I can catch up
this old bar looks like it’s in for some trouble
it’s one of those nights when I just can’t get enough

come on now, let’s do this right
hit the ground or run for your life
the moon is full and we’re all lit up
we’re gonna burn this place brighter than bright

revenge of dirty sanchez

well guess who's back in town?
it ain't the boys Lizzy’s talking about
it's Dirty Sanchez and you know his sign

they say he's back to reprise his role
like a gravedigger workin a new hole
diggin up dirt as the shovel goes deeper in

so put up the target and back on up
he'll hit the bull’s-eye and make his mark

chorus:
burnin down your ring of fire
blazin up that dusty trail
south of the border it ain't no sin
open the backdoor and let him in

let him in and he'll do his magic
you know his style is always to brag it
but not with a word not even a slip
he prefers a girl with a stiff upper lip

revenge of Montezuma came first
but Sanchez has another curse
you never know til you try it his way
don’t let the fun go to waste

so put up the target and back on up
he'll hit your bull’s-eye and make his mark

dirty sanchez

at night when the sun goes down
that’s when he comes to your town
shootin his gun, he knows what he likes
cards in the front, liquor behind

who cares about the law
it’s the ultimate booty call
he don’t like the romance
he don’t like the love
just gettin dirty down in the mud

so put up the target and back on up
he'll hit your bull’s-eye and make his mark

stick to your guns

if they shatter your hope
and condemn you to die
don’t listen to them
it ain’t nothin but lies

life on the run, you answer to none
you can break the spell
stand or fall, break down the walls
and send them straight to hell

chorus:
you gotta fight
stick to your guns
fight
your back to the sun
fight
stick to your guns
and rise above

they condemn your soul
to the shadows of night
where others have failed
you’ll stand up and fly

line in the sand, steady your hand
deceivers all beware
scatter the bones of faithless clones
go where eagles dare

tombstone

at the end of the road
when the shadows are long
and the twilight closes in
you must look down deep into your heart
face the frailty under the skin

no deed goes unpunished
no life comes without a finish
at the end of the road
where there’s no second chance

when the blood is spilled
and your life runs out
there’s nowhere left to hide
confess your sins and tell your secrets
for there is little left of time

no man is unworthy
we’re all the same in the end
when your time has come
you pray or repent

chorus:
tombstone
only the name will remain
tombstone
down by your grave

when the cold of the earth opens wide
and calls you deep inside
who will be there to remember
the time you spent here alive

memory is all that remains
only a stone with a name
at the end of the road
you draw your final breath

black-lung revival

way down south where the backbeat crawls
through the mud thicker than blood
we gather round to praise the sound
oh brothers and sisters have you heard?

we are all just sinners here
in the eyes of the world
so join together with me now
and let our voices, our voices be heard

we’ve come so far but we’re still the same
they will listen, we will say
stand among us, hands to the sky
and tell the world it’s ours tonight

smoke is risin from these halls
see the writing on the walls
a thousand souls burnin bright
praise the power of our might

chorus:
it's a black-lung revival
coursing through our veins
it's a black-lung revival
from the underground, let's go insane

when the clock strikes heaven above
and the judgment comes to call
how many here will still be standing
to champion the cause?

listen close the words I say
and take them well to heart
there’s power inside ourselves
there’s a brand new way to start

we’ve come so far but we’re still the same
they will listen, we will say
stand among us, hands to the sky
praise the power of our might

our voices echo in these halls
feel the tremble of the walls
a thousand souls burnin bright
the underground will rise tonight

mistress of the dark

raven hair and red lips
subtle wicked smile
the way you lay across that velvet
I really love your style

your legs go on forever
electrifying thrill
what I wouldn't give for one night
to climb those haunted hills

you're givin' me the chills
your black dress is drivin' me wild

chorus:
elvira
elvira
mistress of the dark

you'll always be my mistress
the queen of halloween
haunting every midnight
on my tv screen

and if I die tomorrow
or a zombie eats my brain
I'd raise myself up from the dead
just to sing your name

return of the living dead

when there's no more room down there in hell anymore
old man lucifer's gonna laugh and slam the door
leavin us to walk the earth when we die
make this place a living hell for those left alive

it don't make no difference either way
what do you think we're gonna save
it don't take no death to end your life
when you're born into the grave

chorus:
return of the living dead

I stalk the dark and narrow path and that's for sure
between the legs of someone's ill-begotten whore
singin all my songs on this broken guitar
funeral procession from bar-room to bar

it don't make no difference either way
what do you think we're gonna save
it don't take no death to end your life
when you're born into the grave

my halloween

woke up this morning with a fever
left her lyin’ on the floor, it’s time to leave her
walked out of the door and cursed the sun
can’t wait for the night 10-31

chorus:
this is my halloween
day of the dead
night forever

walked down to the corner liquor store
don’t know what I’m really lookin’ for
wolves' blood pumpin’ in my veins
I might be human now, but that can change

it whispers in my ear so soft and low
it speaks to the dark inside my soul
telling me to keep goin’ on
don’t listen to the fools that call me wrong

dead outlaw

dead outlaw gunslinger stalkin thru the streets
if my neighbors all say I’m a mean-eyed freak
then that’s just what I’ll be
got skeletons in my backyard all hangin from the trees
my house is dark if you step inside
you might think it’s halloween

black guitar slingin dog at the front of the show
if I gotta hang by the neck just to get you off
then come on show me the rope
I ain’t afraid to spit in the wind
I always gotta do or die
you say I don’t fit your rock n roll
well funny thing, I never tried

chorus:
dead outlaw
born my mother’s only son
dead outlaw
always on the run

I don’t care what you say I gotta do
ain’t gonna change my ways to fit your rules
shoot ya straight from the black of my heart
shoot ya straight from the black of my heart

thirty four years and countin it's always been my way
I got a taste for darkness and I’ll let you know
that you ain't been the first to say
I got a strange way of spendin my time the way I wanna be
hangin round with the walkin dead
cuz the livin ain’t down with me

against a crooked sky

nightfall hit us hard and the darkness complete
we were ridin through the valley of death
we were three men strong from the town of Abilene
the smell of whiskey on our breath

the first man was a con who had cheated all his life
the second was a fiend of no repent
the third man was I who would murder for a price
a trio you could bet was devil sent

chorus:
we were bound for somewhere new
to steal more lives
riding on the midnight wind
against a crooked sky

as we rode on through, the moonlight crept above
nocturnal eyes watched all around
we never rested once, we had no time to waste
on the wings of greed we were bound

we laughed as we went, all the hell that we'd wrought
on all those who got in our way
not one hour before, we snuffed another life
the blood still fresh upon our blades

the wind came from the west, it whipped from side to side
a cloud of dust erupted to stop us in our tracks
for a moment we were blind from the grit in our eyes
but slowly it cleared as laughter filled the sky

and there before us stood a posse bathed in black
their steeds nothing more than rotted bone
their gaze was all afire and razor whips they cracked
to shred the skin upon our backs

one of them spoke with the gravel in his voice
[your reign of evil is done]
[you may ride a crooked sky but death does too]
[the blood on your hands is your own]

we were bound for somewhere new, condemned to ride
forever in the afterlife
against a crooked sky

werewolves on wheels

listen up baby
we got something you should know
there’s a riot in the streets
and you are in the show
just tighten up yer jaw
and thicken up yer hide
cuz these rebel outlaws
gonna show you how to ride

1978 in the year of our lord
we is rebel trash you know
it was a time for feelin right
that’s when we come out to ride
the smell of blood be our guide

chorus:
let’s creepy crawl through broken jaws
roll them bones out on the lawn
show them all how it feels
to shake the urge we have to kill
we’ll show them all
ride
werewolves on wheels

round the pit
werewolves howl and sing
high on flesh suckin moonshine gasoline
fire our guns cuz we’re proud of bein thugs
there’s nothin like a fine-tuned machine

watch the leather on our backs
burnin down the road
we’re on the hunt for another overload
TNT like a stick of dynamite
who gives a damn if we come out alive

I spit on your grave

it’s night and the wind blows
it moves through the trees
sinister and haunting on its way as it creeps

I lie in this dark place
searching myself
for the strength I had before it all came down

chorus:
and maybe if you were smarter
you would’ve gotten farther
but now you can’t be saved
a sinner will be chosen
his bones will be broken
on this judgment day
I spit on your grave

I’m lost in this limbo
left here to die
in this tarnished veil of scarlet solitude

but nothing can stop me
from bringing my vengeance
down on the men who have done me wrong

it’s night and the graves moan
begging oh lord please forgive me
for what I must do tonight

so one man by one man
I deal retribution
in cruel deserved twist of fate

find a good horse

I heard this as I walked upon on the dusty street
everybody still spittin in my face
I scratched it on the back of another piece of leather
so I could remember what to say

if you give ‘em enough fire they'll burn themselves
if you give ‘em enough rope they'll hang
I remember what the wise man told me
don't ever be afraid to...

chorus:
find a good horse and ride to the end
and that's just what the hell I'm gonna do
take a chance with every breath
you ain't got nothin else to lose

a man's word is the blade of a knife
words carry weight it’s true
you can't go wrong when a good thing catches on
just take it from The News

if you give ‘em enough fire they'll burn themselves
if you give ‘em enough rope they'll hang
I remember what the wise man told me
don't ever be afraid to...

drink with the living dead

I was sittin in The Thirsty Devil, one sheet hung to the wind
when the bat wings doors creaked open and a stranger sauntered in
he moved his head from side to side and glared with a sunken eye
I heard the spin of a rusty spur as he shook off the dreary night

he lowered his hat, checked his gun and headed toward the bar
walked on up beside me, I knew he’d traveled far
in a voice as thick as mud he looked to the ‘keep and said…
“one shot of whiskey for myself and one for my new friend”

the patrons whispered hushed and low, they seemed to be afraid
as if a ghost had stood right up and walked out of its grave
his face was shallow and dirty, his skin like leather hide
sure he spoke like any man, but something wasn’t right

so I twisted on my stool, turned to him and said
“thank you sir, but just the same, I’m chasin worms instead”
he growled and shoved the drink my way, his eyes cold as death
“I pick the drinks, you knock ‘em back, else draw against my hand”

chorus:
when it’s six to midnight and the boney hand of death is nigh
you better drink your drink and shut your mouth
if you draw against his hand, you can never win
go ahead… drink with the living dead

“who the hell do you think you are?” my patience growin thin
but swallow hard, I had to do, when the story he began
his lips curled back and words came forth starting up the tale
and every face inside that bar turned a shade of pale

“my name is Stanton Cree and I died three years before
I shot a man to steal his drink, at least that’s what they hung me for
now I’m cursed to walk the earth and challenge every night
a man to match me drink for drink or by the bullet die”

“now wait a minute, mister, no one makes me a fool”
I pushed the shot of whiskey back on over towards the ghoul
“I love a drink like any man but that’s a losin game
to drink or draw against the dead would only be insane”

Stanton Cree tipped his hat and laughed a wicked laugh
“you see, the lord cursed my soul for killin that poor man
there ain’t no choice so you must try to match me shot for shot
if you win, then you’ll go free and I can finally rot”

the barhop nodded slowly and I knew that I was screwed
if I chose to duel the dead then I would surely lose
so I took the glass and threw the shot into my throat
I would match him drink for drink, no matter if I choked

whiskey, tequila, vodka, rum or gin
ain’t no man that I can’t beat, be him live or dead
so into the morning I matched him ounce for ounce
til Stanton Cree fell over and a winner was announced

now he rests in his pine box and I still walk the streets
but I don’t forget the night when death had chosen me
there ain’t no fancy moral to go with this I fear
unless you aim to kill a man and drink down his last beer!

train to nowhere

I’m on a train to nowhere
I’m on a new road of life
I’m restless and I’m thirsty
hangin on the edge of a knife

cuz all my dreams are over
I see shadows on the moon
bad luck is blowin with the whistle
rollin on down to my doom

flowers don’t wither in the springtime
lord it seems so unreal
I found myself standin over
her body lyin so still

I’m on a train to nowhere
I’m on a new path to hell
I’m cold and I’m tired
listening to her spirit wail

cuz I’m a man lost to sorrow
ridin this rail without rest
love can be so lonely
when it’s all that you have left

under the phantom moon

the high hawk knows where the rabbit goes
and the buzzard marks the kill
but few there be with eyes to see
the tall men riding still
we hark in vain on the speeding train
for an echo of hoofbeat thunder
and the yellow wheat is a winding sheet
for cattle trails plowed under

hoofdust flies at the low moon's rise
and the bullbat's lonesome whir
is an echoed note from the longhorn throat,
a steer as it were
inch by inch, time draws the cinch,
till the saddles creak no more
and they the lords of the cattle hordes
shall tally a final score

chorus:
oh the tall men riding
under the phantom moon
oh the tall men riding
hoofbeats like hammers of doom

this is the song that the night birds sing
as the phantom herds trail by
horn by horn where the long plains throw
flat miles to the sky
and this is the song that the night birds wail
where the Texas plains lie wide
over the dust of a ghostly trail
where the phantom tall men ride

“Under the Phantom Moon” lyrics based on a traditional poem by Omar Barker (b.1894)

life after sundown

[narration]

it's life after sundown
in a mexican town
south of the border

when the sun goes down in the southern sky
then you know it's time for us to rise
when the sun goes down
you know we'll load all our rounds
and ride for the place that lives by the gun

cover yourself in black
no color in this world we know
cuz only money is gold and life is cheap

when we come to your town
like the resurrection of the dead
only the best will live to the end

[sung]

it's life after sundown
in a mexican town
south of the border

skeleton cowboys

here we come with our eyes on fire
lookin for some souls to steal
tearin it up from the underground down
got you under our wheels
got a two-headed dog and a rattlesnake charm
nothin left to hold
midnight riders from way out west
stompin with our skulls and bones

chorus:
eyes on fire
skeleton cowboys

here we come with our smokin guns
lookin for a shot in the dark
revin our engines with the drive in our guts
swoopin down to hit the mark
got a twisted grin like the joker's card
creepin like wolves to the kill
when you see us comin better open up
swallow our bitter pill

bones and skulls and bones and skulls hey
bones and skulls and bones and skulls hey
bones and skulls and bodies and blood yeah
bones and skulls and bones and skulls hey

here we go with our coffers full
takin all that we wanna take
crackin our whips with a dead man's hand
breakin all that we wanna break
sing our song with a fork in the tongue
never gonna let it go
so come with us if you wanna go down
no one really needs a soul

hog trail

when the dogs howl at night
and the moon is full and bright
I feel like drinkin me some wine

down by the creek
where you find all the freaks
it's down to the hog trail tonight

bring yourself a girl
and an ice chest full of Pearl
we're sure to have a hell of a time

if you don't mind some mud
or perhaps a little blood
I think we're really gonna shine

chorus:
darlin don't run away
just come back right here beside me
let's go down where the moon meets the lake
I know there's this really good place called the hog trail

let's make it a night
it ain't no good to fight
let's just drink some beer and have a good time

maybe if you're good
we'll make it back from these woods
when you see the sun start to rise

all these flies buzzin buzzin
buzzin all these flies

tekilla

when the sun goes down and darkness comes around
and we're ridin in from all points hellbound
there's only one thing that can keep the world in order
some of that honey of the earth
fruit of the agava

get set up
to knock down
cuz you know
that's how we stalk the night

chorus:
tekilla

in the morning you'll begin to feel it in every bone
like rigor mortis in a poor old zombie's soul
but right now we're comin onto high midnight
so come on killers let those f**kin shots fly

you feel it
in every bone
cuz you know
that's how we stalk the night

when the lights go out and all the bars close their doors
find your queen of the night and move it to the streets
drink the last drop, yeah baby swallow the worm
cuz life is short and by mornin we all burn

you take it
in every hole
cuz you know
that's how we stalk the night

blood on my hands

I got blood on my hands
from all the years that come and go
cleanin up the messes that I've made
I just keep on washin but it never goes away
the more I scrub the more it stays

I got a pint from Carol Ann
who left me for a friend
never saw it comin nor did she
the night I caught 'em in the sheets
of that ol' feather bed
lord did that scene get out of hand

chorus:
so I took an eye for an eye
for what they did to me
don't pray for my soul
just give me soap
cuz you know it's a bitch comin clean

I got a quart from Laura Sue
who went and took me for a fool
but I sent her down to chainsaw school
first you fill 'er up
then you yank the cord and look out when the chain it starts to roar

I got the most from Katy Jo
who left me down and broke
after all the promises we pledged
but when it comes right down to it
love is just an axe
it cuts you through the heart
and leaves you dead

they say I need one more verse
one verse for this song
but I can't think of a single thing
I'd like to add
suffice to note
that there ain't no hope
when you're always in the red
chances are that now I'll be condemned

mexican moonshine

like a bullet shattered darkness
the southern witch appears
to fill my head with thirst
for the taste of just one tear
the heat of blazing eyes
burns my heart to coals
she’s got me where she wants me
one drink short of her soul

my eyes trace the contours
of the tattoos on her skin
that lead within the confines
of the glory born to men
night after night I follow
a slave to this thirst
I pray that she will heal me
as my face falls to the dirt

yo soy, yo soy
sangre de la luna
ella canta
she sings
listen to the song she sings

chorus:
Mexican moonshine

I’m servin out my time
in this god forsaken place
she circles my shadow
but I never touch her face
still she holds me
in the web she has spun
painting all her colors
in my world devoid of sun

yo soy, yo soy
sangre de la luna
lloró al Diablo
she sings
whoa she sings

bury them deep

bury them deep that’s what I said
time to play your dead man’s hand
dealin bullets is like dealin cards
when it all comes down to a draw

wind in my face I feel the burn
dust drinks the blood of their tears
I say goodbye but it don’t mean much
when shots ring like hits of a drum

bury them deep that’s what I said
lay your body down on the sand
when it’s all said and done
it’s just a price I work to earn
it’s just a price I work to earn

hot sun glares down on the street
silence as deep as a Colorado gorge
don’t care where you been or where you come from
it’s just my job to be done

wind in my face I love the burn
dust drinks the blood of their tears
I say goodbye but it don’t mean much
when shots ring like hits of a drum

bury them deep
and they won’t back haunt your soul like they do mine

this town crawls with beggers and thieves
come to bite the hand that feeds

revolución

I woke up this morning opened up my eyes
decided to take hold of my life
it’s been so long since I’ve seen an early dawn
the sun is at my back and I’m alive

here I come like an angry bull
alive or dead I’m runnin for the red

chorus:
viva (stand up)
revolución (ya)
I shake my fists
I shake my fists at the sun

I got to my feet and started the day
I’m moving on and I ain’t looking back
cursed be those who try to hold me down
tears of love won’t make me stay

gotta face this change with an open-minded heart
don’t let it take us all too far south
I’ve come to fight there’s a new door up ahead
if it ain’t open I’ll kick it down

when I play my song you hear the music from my soul
round and round this mad world I go
sometimes in this life there’s only one choice to make
so join me now or get out of my way

texas bound

I was born in a west texas gundown
when the sun was sinkin low
my mother she gave me her life there
and my father had already left home
nothing in life it come easy
when you ain’t really got no one
but there’s no place I rather be now
than under the texas sun

buried down among the worms of the grave
I’ve been away too f**kin long
hit the border come 1am
drinkin beer and singin songs

chorus:
whoa oh oh
I’m coming home
texas bound
put the pedal down
texas bound

it’s cold and lonely when you’re six feet down
it ain’t no way to spend the day
but now I’m back where I belong
back in the lone star state

walkin’ through the desert (with a crow)

it was sunday mornin and I found myself alone
walkin through the desert with a crow
I took me a shovel and I dug myself a hole
walkin through the desert with a crow

at times I thought that I would die
but I left those days somewhere behind
there’s only so much a man can take
before he knows
he knows he’s gonna break

cuz a man’s gotta take what he can take
when he’s got one foot down in the grave
you never know where the road is gonna end
sometimes I think this bird
this bird’s my only friend

chorus:
walkin through the desert with a crow

I murdered my past life and I covered up its bones
walkin through the desert with a crow
I gathered my possessions and I took out on the road
walkin through the desert with a crow

there’s been nights I drank myself to sleep
I lay my head on nails with bottles at my feet
when I awoke I thought I was free
but there he’d be
that bird that follows me

a man ain’t meant to be alone
with demons scratching at his soul
if I had wings I’d probably fly
if I had tears I know
I’d probably cry

legend of everett sykes

in the flatlands of texas where the dust swirls like devils
there's a town with a curse where the river runs dry
they call it hallow's end on a faded map
and that's where it all began

they say he was a soldier turned preacher in a storm
the wind and rain beat down while anger took its form
at the back of the house where the fields grew of corn
they say he killed his sister whose son was stillborn

chorus:
listen to the rattle that comes with the night
when you see the shadows fading you better pray for the light
listen to the crackle when the flames burn too long
everything you covet has a heavy price
so says the legend of everett sykes

to cleanse himself of sin he turned to brimstone and fire
a confederate of angels overcome with desire
and people that knew him said that when he spoke of hell
you could almost see a sickening light inside his mortal shell

even his wife he burned in the living flesh
cuz a witches’ tongue can rattle with things best left dead

so every night he prayed at a black and bottomless hole
where lucifer was cast on his one way trip below
paying a penance for the things that he'd done
cuz down the hole he cast the severed head of his own son

[ see studio albums for lyrics to the live songs ]

fistful of demons

I was born without a face
on some forgotten halloween
in 13 rusty mason jars my mother buried me
in some old shack behind the woods
where no one ever goes
but a soul don't rest in the devil's arms
cuz no one really knows

chorus:
I got a fistful of demons
I got some boots made of lead
the grave may cool my rotting bones
but it won't cure my head

I was horribly disfigured
a monster from a whore
the minute I saw life she up and slammed the door
cut me up in little pieces
thought I'd go away
but now I'm back you better believe
cuz hell has come to pay

in the dirty crawlspace underneath the house
you opened up your legs to squirt that demon out
the dog was lapping madly at the blood stain on the floor
dead and buried I was gone but now I'm back for more

I've got the frown of a satyr
the witnesses they say
a little boy who died down there but never went away
but you and I know better
now don't we mother dear?
how can a kid be frownin when he smiles from ear to ear?

dia de los muertos

way down south past a ghost town or two
where the crack of leather carries a tune
I met a girl and we danced in the moonlight
before the sunrise she was my bride

as marauders and bandits we rode through streets
laid to waste the corpse of our dreams
we haunted the cities and drank our delight
wherever we pleased we lay for the night

the summer moon destined to die
bonfires
bonfires burnin bright

chorus:
dia de los muertos

the autumn moon it came with a moan
parades of colors danced with the bones
her face grew pale where it was once gold
inside my madness she was so cold

I turned and rolled my eyes to the white
straight through the heart with a bowie knife
one second separates man and a beast
possession is so strong and I am so weak

the autumn moon rose in the sky
bonfires
bonfires burnin bright

is she dead or is it me?

return of the living dead

when there's no more room down there in hell anymore
old man lucifer's gonna laugh and slam the door
leavin us to walk the earth when we die
make this place a living hell for those left alive

it don't make no difference either way
what do you think we're gonna save
it don't take no death to end your life
when you're born into the grave

chorus:
return of the living dead

I stalk the dark and narrow path and that's for sure
between the legs of someone's ill-begotten whore
singin all my songs on this broken guitar
funeral procession from bar-room to bar

it don't make no difference either way
what do you think we're gonna save
it don't take no death to end your life
when you're born into the grave

wicked man

shadows are long - sun fallin down
it must be an evil that’s brewin all around
thoughts on the bullet - eyes holdin still
seconds are hours tickin to the kill

chorus:
you’re a wicked man
I shot the hell you down
you’re a wicked man
your blood is on the ground
you’re a wicked man
feel the powder burn
you’re a wicked man
but I’m the devil’s son

could you hear the sound - of the trigger’s toll
lead speedin thru the air just like a howlin dog
hear the widow’s song - gospel good as dead
by me there you lie a scarlet riverbed

smoke is finally clear - everyone’s a mess
now they start to realize just who I really am
silent - lonesome moan
you thought you were the man but you were f**kin wrong

I’m the devil’s son…

wait until dark

two bat wings
a raven's tongue
seven eyes of newt
three dead flies
a dirty skull
and one old leather boot
throw it in a boiling pot
and what have you got?

chorus:
wait until dark

four rat tails
a reptile heart
a salted pair of lips
five old bones
a spider leg
you can't f**kin miss
bless it with a witch's hex
and what happens next?

your name's on the lips of my coven
we whisper things you desire
bathing our skin in the moonlight
in fame, fortune and fire
it's painful my love if you want it
like cats sing from the heat
be careful what it is that you wish for
it might not be what you dreamed

draggin' your bones

I sleep with one eye open
don't let no witchcraft bring me down
I move with the wind
keep my ear to the ground
confess my sins
from hell I will turn
pull my shades at night
and shield myself from the sun
shield myself from the sun yeah

chorus:
I can feel it comin
draggin your bones around

I swore through my whiskey
that I would never be so blind
then you came for me
draggin all your skulls behind
like a vampire
you drank my blood
I know I'm doomed
I can see it in your eyes
I can see it in your eyes yeah

what haunted things lurk behind your eyes
you try to bleed me,
drain me, suck me dry

I sleep with one eye open
watch like a hound from hell
dead to the world outside
this time I cannot fail
there ain't no rest for me
with you on the creep
stay away
and let me rest in peace
rest in peace yeah

bloodshot

been drinkin all night my eyes are bloodshot
been losin my mind my head is sore
nothin else to do when you've done it all and lived to tell

been drinkin myself a sea of gold
shot after shot but it never grows old
join me if you wanna throw your liver right into the fire

chorus:
bloodshot
(you can’t get the blood so don’t even try)
bloodshot
(shot)

been diggin in the earth my hands are raw
I been makin love to another girl
tryin like hell to find myself an escape

I been playin guitar my fingers hurt
I've been smokin cigars now my lungs are burned
nasty habits keep the demons inside me down

been spending my time like dollars in g-strings
been burnin my bridges just to feel the heat
cross me once and I'll piss right on your grave

I'm a killer and all my blood runs cold
from texas down to mexico
gimme one more drink the sunrise is so far away

man with no name

it was in alexandria that I took my first life
he had it out for me from the beginning
so I carried a knife
it was long and shiny like a silvery tooth
they say only dead men still tell the truth

chorus:
trade your pistol for a coffin
and crows will dig your grave
they say I shot a man for nothin
and for you I'll do the same
cuz I'm the man with no name

I was in dallas texas when I bought my first gun
around the time I left home and went on the run
they were hot on my heels by the time I turned twenty-five
I remember singin 'back in black' when I broke through that line

now I travel the western worlds when the desert sun is high
with a belly full of iron and a double-barrel full of fire and ice
the trail of my cigarette marks the places I've been
I'm a man without a home the whisper of the wind

hang me high

it was cold late november
the witching hour near
the wind howled through the gallows tree
no one shed a tear

I felt the rope around my neck
a man the world forgot
I knew right then what I had to do
so I said goodbye to god

I slept in transylvania
walked with the undead
rode the night with jesse james
reveled in my sins

I hung with no signs of life
yet I still I lived
to hell with dyin with regrets
the grave it don't forgive

chorus:
look to the west
cross my heart and die
remember who I am oh lord
when they hang me high
hang me high

there’s only one chance in this life
to do or die is all
a thousand ways I might go
one’s just as good as them all

I dredged up my heartbeat
stole one more breath
cut the rope around my throat
now I cheated death

dirty sanchez

better hide your women cuz he’s ridin into town
his hair is dark and his skin is saddle brown
he takes to a lady like a tiger by the tail
he commands the badlands and he kicks the dusty trail

he packs a 45 it’s long and lean and mean
he’s got the spit of snuff streamin from his teeth
you bet your bottom dollar he’s your backdoor man
they call him dirty sanchez if he knocks
don’t let him in

chorus:
dirty sanchez

one day in monterrey he met a butcher’s wife
she loved chorizo all loaded with spice
sanchez nodded once and he slipped into the back
like good ol’ lizzy borden gave her 40 f**kin whacks

baby baby it’s your lucky day
he’ll work you over like an artist works with clay

his father was a painter his mother was a whore
he had an eye for art but he’s rotten to the core
some say a twisted picasso, a don juan he ain’t
but he always leaves his mark on his lover’s face

zorro used his sword for doing better deeds
he freed the poor people by carving out his z’s
not dirty sanchez

whipping post

in a shadow-black corner of the world
in a town far and remote
I gave my soul for a promise
now I'm damned to walk alone

her eyes were the work of an angel
her heart was the devil’s design
and our blood ran together

even angels can lie
back where I started this life

chorus:
on the whipping post

in a faded word of a whisper
like a ghost by a lonely grave
she left me for the promise of another
now the blood is stained

her face was the work of an angel
her love was the devil’s design
and she fades forever

even devils can die
back where I started this life

carry the coffin

been out on the road so long that I begin to see
traces of the drifters that came before me
dogs without a home no chain no leash
bones of their masters in their starvin teeth

I’m a lost soul a travelin man
I play guitar in the devil’s band
I smoke and I drink what can I say
bury my sins in the old fashioned way

chorus:
and I’ll carry the coffin
all the way

I’m haunted by ghosts that don’t let me go
like those come from pages of lovecraft and poe
my heart it cries for those that I’ve known
but I keep on movin the road is my home

I’m a lost soul a travelin man
I play guitar in the devil’s band
I smoke and I drink what can I say?
bury my sins the old fashioned way

the backs of my brothers I cover when I stand
don't trust a vamp she'll f*** you if she can
but I keep on movin it's the only way I know
up with the fire and on with the show

I’m a lost soul a travelin man
I play guitar in the devil’s band
I smoke and I drink what can I say?
bury my sins the old fashioned way

rotoriculous

mad machine spinnin worm in a wheel
soul in a black hole snake in a peel
rotating madhouse strobe on the wall
melting mirrors distorting the fall

chorus:
rotoriculous spinner of death
shaken my head and stolen my breath
rotoriculous spinner of life
you’re a mad machine on a wicked wicked ride

rolling backwards on a serpent mile
millions of strangers caught in its guile
plead the fifth of insanity
sinister railway of mockery yeah

thrill junkie jive on a permanent fix
screams cut like razors to the quick
I told you before, you'll never escape
it’s a mad machine come and join the race

on a wicked wicked ride

killer in texas

I’m a cold-blooded killer
my soul is ripped and torn
got the black heart of texas
I’ve got the devil’s horns

cuz I’ve spent my life to bring you harm
drank your blood to keep me warm
moon was full when I was born
I’m comin home, it won’t be long

chorus:
there’s a killer in texas
a killer in texas
there’s killer on the rails

I’m a hell raisin outlaw
out here stealin lives
killed a man for starin
by cuttin out his eyes

cuz I started life in evil’s hands
no way in hell I had a chance
you glorify the deeds I did
forgot about the soul I had to give

train keeps on rollin
my life is ever blowin
like dust across the lone star state
drink one more drink yeah
to wash down our sins
cuz nightfall has come and gone again

I’m a cold-blooded killer
I’m always on the run
just look at me mother
ain’t you proud of your son?

cuz I’ve spent my life to bring you harm
drank your blood to keep me warm
moon was full when I was born
I’m comin for you, it won’t be long

the burning

never did hear what you say
I don’t need it anyway
never could see what you saw
they wouldn’t suspect love at all

now I’m on fire and you’re on your way
like human candles lit to burn away
midnight rises and here we are
you scratch at my soul
but I’m so far gone

chorus:
I don’t want no one
I don’t need no one
I take no lovers in my bad
I don’t want no one
I don’t need no one
the flames of fire burn down to the end

you may cry and you may beg
spit on the flame that's in my head
you may curse me I don’t care
I’ll show you paradise I swear

now I’m burning the cold you embrace
we always take more than we gave
like seas that eat their pieces of eight
open, swallow, lock you away

I am exploding
I am consumed
by the fire that I feel for you
like a ghost without fame or fortune
to love and to hold
to cherish to torture

the worm

belly up to the bar and give me shot of your best stuff
cuz this dust in my throat is turning to brick
make it some of that mexican mojo
that you’ve got hidden there down below

I can hear him callin
I can hear him beg
drink me like the water from this desert land
I don’t need no chaser
I don’t need no lime
just tip the glass and let that motherf***er fly

glass in one hand flesh in the other
queen of the night on the day of the dead
let’s raise the bottle and wager a boast
who gets to have this heavenly host

chorus:
worm

I look out across the bar’s hollow gut
rafters climb the walls like rib bones
sultry dancers move like cobras to the sounds of a skeleton band

I can hear him whisper
I can hear him call
every poker player in this dirty hall
he’s the garden viper
he’s the mongrel’s teeth
hair of the dog baby is all you need

cards in one hand glass in the other
drink up tomorrow we might be dead
god’s little children howlin like ghosts
come to wet their grave-thirsty throats

remember the worm the promise he keeps
bullfighters die and women weep
break out the bottle and I’ll show you what I mean
sell your soul for smoke and a drink
place your little lips around the neck
swallow the worm baby I’m your man

midnight train

on a midnight train
gonna leave tonight
gonna roll right outta town
like a thunder blast
like a new year’s bash
gonna make a demon sound

on a violent urge
just watch me purge
all the track I’m wolfin down
I’m outta control
like the hot wind blow
hear me fire another round

chorus:
well there ain’t shit you can do
when I steam-roll right over you
I’m huffin I’m puffin
I’m stoppin for nothin
you won’t stand in my way
I’m on a midnight train
I’m on a midnight train

I’m on a midnight train
my coal is black
my heart is tempered steel
gotta an iron lung
and some time to burn
with the motion of my wheels

movin down the rail
like a bat from hell
my wings are open wide
I’m a man possessed
locomotive breath
no stops tonight

gunslinger

it was a lonely day in hell that I met you
soul searching for the light of day
I heard a voice in the devil's darkness
I saw a grinnin bird of prey

you cleared your leather and the rain came down
they had it comin some would say

chorus:
gunslinger - the red sky is fallin
gunslinger - the chains of your soul
gunslinger - we all meet our maker
you gunned those zombies down

her eyes were two twin silver dollar moons
they burned from heaven in your song
she blew away just like a dirge in the desert
you closed your eyes then she’s gone

you begged the shadows please release her
they just laughed and crawled away

you’ll drift eternal til you find her
the world has long since moved away
you filled the grave with two dark angels
for what they did they had to pay

death of jonah hex

a dusty hollow drifter was lyin in the bed
there was dirty water at your feet an angel at your head
there was devils on each side of you with bottles in their hands
the master of the double irons would no doubt soon be dead

it started with a dealer and a deck of fifty-one
lone star beer, cuervo gold, two killers and their guns
darkness was the witness it crept upon the town
you crossed some f**kin stranger with horns beneath his crown

no mortal could have beat you no fight you ever lost
but now they'll take you from this place and stick you in a box

at the death bed of jonah hex we'll kneel and say a prayer
as the ghosts are rattling at the door and the devil’s in the chair

you remember that foul evenin when you heard the banshees moan
the lousy drunken bastards singin billy in the bowl
they took you up to midnight mass and left you with a lurch
you dropped a quarter on the plate and your blood it filled the church

it must have been a bullet whose whose silver tip was honed
shoot right down into the heart and shatter every bone

at the death bed of jonah hex we'll kneel and say a prayer
as the ghosts are rattling at the door and the devil’s in the chair

up at the gates of heaven your voice it became a shout
they wouldn't give you service so you kicked the f**kin windows out
they shoved you back into the street they kicked you in the brains
sent you away to hell where they said you should remain

at the death bed of jonah hex we'll kneel and say a prayer
as the ghosts are rattling at the door and the devil’s in the chair

running from the sun

she came without a kiss
blood stains upon her wrists
so cold
she said take me home

her dress fell to the floor
come close my virgin whore
take it slow
the darkness grows

I am the nameless
eternal pain prince
I am the day’s forgotten one

chorus:
running from the sun

morning flame it burns in her
a price for love at every turn
she said
I think I’m dead

now I take this dying bride
on eternal nightwing ride
she flies
away from life

I am the darkest
lover’s secret
I am the snake’s scarlet tongue

I am your prince of pain
soon I will be your everything
thrust you inside out
steal the words from in your mouth
in darkness we are one
hidden from the sun
where we listen to them wail
as I take you away from your yellow hell
running from the sun

boots of hell

the snap of necks after nightfall
ropes are taut, the jury’s hung
‘forgotten’ is carved on their tombstones
there’s a new breed of outlaw in town

on four legs of fury we ride
our brand 666
in a flame of crimson glory
we have come

it’s a game of cancellation
gun down whatever’s in our way
our eyes are silver with bloodlust
our souls are dry like the dust

we are the nameless and thirsty
shameless, damned and corrupt
draw the blood from your daughters
drink til we are drunk

chorus:
fire (burnin)
blazin (hell yeah)
the eyes of evil are upon you
fire (burnin)
blazin (hell yeah)
it’s time to lick the boots of hell

darkness follows behind us
cold as ice to the bone
this cowboy dressed in black leather
is drillin for new texas gold

our blood is poison tequila
meet the worm from hell
come inside this wicked circus
one more notch on my belt

chorus:
fire (burnin)
blazin (hell yeah)
the eyes of evil are upon you

fire (blood red)
blazin (til the end)
the eyes of evil are upon you

fire (burnin)
faster (ya!)
the eyes of evil are upon you

fire (hellbent)
blazin (til the end)
it’s time to lick the boots of hell

after 2

neon glow
the dive was alive
there were four on the floor by the time I arrived
she slithered up to me - up my spine
so I bought her a drink
and fed her a line

her hair was black as the night
she had long perfect legs and a gleam between her thighs
ten blood-red fingernails
so I followed the signs that said
‘straight to hell’

chorus:
I finally found my angel
yes I finally found the truth
that your soul is unforgiven
if you love what you do
so damned be salvation
when it looks as good as you
I’ll just have to pay the price
and dance with you
after 2

with dawn came the end of the night
and once more she came with a siren’s cry
then she was gone with her prize
too bad it seems my heart ain’t
as big as my eyes

killer in texas

I’m a cold-blooded killer
my soul is ripped and torn
got the black heart of texas
I’ve got the devil’s horns

cuz I’ve spent my life to bring you harm
drank your blood to keep me warm
moon was full when I was born
I’m comin home, it won’t be long

chorus:
there’s a killer in texas
a killer in texas
there’s killer on the rails

I’m a hell raisin outlaw
out here stealin lives
killed a man for starin
I cut out his eyes

cuz I started life in evil’s hands
no way in hell I had a chance
you glorify the deeds I did
forgot about the soul I had to give

train keeps on rollin
my life is ever blowin
like dust across the lone star state
drink one more drink yeah
to wash down our sins
cuz nightfall has come and gone again

I’m a cold-blooded killer
I’m always on the run
just look at me mother
ain’t you proud of your son?

cuz I’ve spent my life to bring you harm
drank your blood to keep me warm
moon was full when I was born
I’m comin for you, it won’t be long

pale skin diva

I slipped into my skin and met her after midnight
her cleopatra eyes were givin me the chills
the beating heart of darkness curled up inside her
I thought I saw some blood on her lips yeah

chorus:
pale skin diva
ya!

and like a raven spread her wings in crucifixion
opened her chamber door and slipped me inside
now we dig the sounds of groovy sex and leather
my hungry kitten, yeah, she likes to spill her milk, uh!

leather girl from hell

southern witch

it was nine o’clock and the pale eye of the moon was high
when I strapped on my gun and tried to forget the sun
I heard the daughter of darkness she called my name
let no man, good or evil, stand in my way

chorus:
southern witch
you got the evil spell
you took my heart away and locked it up down in hell
southern witch
never let me go
what is this burnin pain I feel in my soul?

I find her waitin for me beneath the hot spanish sky
unveiled and perfect her skin like aztec gold
from lips of fire I hear the endless song she sings
satan’s western star has a hold on me

I heard mother mary warn me to stay away
the touch of holy water burns like acid rain
but nothin can save me from this fate
now that she’s shown me her deep dark secret place

exsequor inritus irritus (fill this void)
cum mei carus dolor (with my beloved's misery)

bury the hatchet

clock strikes 12, it’s after midnight
the stories of ghosts have all been told
some are real and some imagined
some have yet to ever leave the tomb

it’s time to wake the monster
shocked to life in the face of pain
when you gotta settle the score
repeat after me…
the heart is the best place to bury the hatchet

a lone dark house, it’s time for the haunting
through the concrete streets we roam
lust and greed are the food of hatred
blood is pumped with an urge to kill

you can’t shake the feelin
it’s gonna be your curtain call
when it’s live and let die
repeat after me…
the heart is the best place to bury the hatchet

your blood is boiling over
your brain has gone to overload
don’t let sleeping dogs lie
repeat after me…
the heart is the best place to bury the hatchet
the heart is the best place to bury the hatchet

killin's a bitch (and this bitch is killin' me)

in the midnight hour crimson flowers
wilt and hang their heads
but I remember when we loved
to drink the blood we bled
two sharp knives we pierced the flesh
and planted seeds inside
we schemed to take this crazy world
and skin it of its hide

chorus:
love is pain and life is death
ironic so it goes
that blood and roses, wine and flesh
don't make the garden grow
killin's a bitch and this bitch is killin me

remember back when we were young
how we killed without shame
nothin brings two lovers closer
than dishin out some pain
a murder here and a murder there
by poison, blade or hand
an endless honeymoon we spent
dancing with the dead

do you think for a second that you can get out now
squeeze through a loophole in our vows
while you scream that you still love me
and slide the knife into my back
or poison me to heart attack
all the skeletons in the closet
there's no way out when love has died
one corpse we cannot hide

in the midnight hour crimson flowers
wilt and hang their heads
I remember when we loved to drink the blood we bled
two sharp knives we pierced the flesh
now that love has died there's nowhere left to hide
life is pain and love is death
deadly as a kiss