| Phil Ochs lyrics
When In Rome lyrics
A
In the fire blue forests, faded and forgotten
I crawled through the cotton fields, picking for cotton
D
The overseer sneered, his whipping was rotten
A
With ecstasy.
F#m
Im child-like terror I tore out the tap roots
Bm
Cards of the lash were calling to follow suit
E7
I dashed for the swamps, the hounds in hot pursuit
D A
Jealously.
C#7 F#m
All through the night a figure of fright, as I hid my head
C#7 F#m
And the buried their nose in a cut of my cloths, now torn in shreds
C#7 B
And they never would leave until they believed that I was dead
E A
But I'd never curse their names
E A
Oh, who am I to blame
E A
I know I'd do the same
B
Endlessly.
C#m
And all the high-born ladies
F#m
So lovely and so true,
B
Have been handed to the soldiers
E
When in Rome do as the Romans do.
Frail and afraid in the mists of the morning
The snakes and the spiders were sadly performing
The bark of the dogs kept up the warning
Inside the wood.
Sweating and swearing I crawled from the manger
The highway appeared to take me from danger
Is there anyone here who would pick up a stranger?
Oh I wish you could.
Then someone replied ";would you like a ride?";
";Come in"; he said.
We drove for a while, he gave me a smile and a piece of bread
The hammer was hard in the chrome of the car as I cracked his head
Then we took off in a spin
Oh I smashed his skull again
Oh thank you my good friend,
I feel so good.
And all the high-born ladies
So lovely and so true,
Have been handed to the soldiers
When in Rome do as the Romans do.
Late in the evening I came to the city
I fell to the sidewalks sighing for pity
A diamond was dropped from the hands of the pretty
To be so kind.
Cowards and corpses were busy competing
The rhymes of the riots were busy repeating
I raced to the corner and sped(?) from the speeding
To save my mind.
Latches and locks, companies of cops ran from the rain
There was silk in the stores for the whims of the whores
That shone with shame.
I asked for a light from a priest in the night
Then I fanned the flames.
And the traffic all stood still
To see if someone had been killed
I was glad to leave a thrill
So far behind.
And all the high-born ladies
So lovely and so true,
Have been handed to the soldiers
When in Rome do as the Romans do.
A monk and his mother were dancing so dandy
A topless nun was handing out candy
The beautiful bishop broke out the brandy
The kiss we crave.
They stuttered and stammered, would I feel like staying
We fell to our knees, feverishly praying
the salt in the salt-peter seemed to be saying
Be brave, be brave.
I reached reached for a robe, I preached and I probed
And I taught the tune.
And the greed for the gills was played to the hilt
As I promised doom
I toyed with their fears, until coins and tears filled the room
Then I took off down the road
Laughing madly like a toad
God bless every soulless soul
That would be saved.
And all the high-born ladies
So lovely and so true,
Have been handed to the soldiers
When in Rome do as the Romans do.
A chorus of children were passing the hours
I joined in their fun and gave them my flowers
Covered with kisses and showered with showers
That they repaid.
Taken and trusting, would I be their teacher?
She looked so appealing, I wanted to touch her
Just out of reach, unable to reach her
Their hands were raised.
Charmed by the chalk, the lessons were taught, inside the class
They studied the rules of the samurai schools, they had to pass
The room was adjourned, the lessons were learned,
I turned on the gas
And I watched them make their pleas
They passed the test with ease
I gave them their degrees,
They made the grade.
And all the high-born ladies
So lovely and so true,
Have been handed to the soldiers
When in Rome do as the Romans do.
Feeling my weakness, a coward for company
I joined the ranks of the hot and hungry
To teach what it means to have love for your country
We marched away.
We lowered our lives for the lines of a border
We danced with the mothers, played with the daughters
We followed our fantasies, following orders
It was child's play.
After the war the bullets were bored so we capped the game
With cynical smiles we put them on trial to place the blame
Now what kind of beast would love such a feast
Have you no shame?
So we hung the by the feet
Oh, we shot them in the street
Oh, the victory was sweet
on victory day.
And all the high-born ladies
So lovely and so true,
Have been handed to the soldiers
When in Rome do as the Romans do.
The bread and the circuses came to be nearing
The Saviour or somebody must be appearing
Pagans and pageants were all disappearing
Inside my head.
The stones on the statues were staring and stalling
Caesar and Cassius were cursing and calling
The empire had risen and now it was falling
Or so it seemed.
The crown and the cross seemed empty and lost in dark despair
And luminous lies, death in disguise were everywhere
The canvas was cold, the story was old, I said my prayers
Then I crowned him on the head
Oh, I blessed him as he bled
Oh At last, the king is dead
God save the queen.
And all the high-born ladies
So lovely and so true,
Have been handed to the soldiers
When in Rome do as the Romans do.
Now nothing remained for building or burning
The losing of lovers was all I was learning
A time for escape and a time for returning had come to me
Back through the ashes and back through the embers
Back through the roads and the ruins I remembered
My hands at my side I sadly surrendered
Do as you please.
The hero was home, proven and grown, I fell on the floor
Mad with romance they started to dance, their star was born
I bled like the rain, exploded in pain, then I screamed for more
Oh, make me feel sublime
Release me from my mind
Oh, Kill me one more time
And set me free.
And all the high-born ladies
So lovely and so true,
Have been handed to the soldiers
When in Rome do as the Romans do.
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Ballad of William Worthy lyrics
Bound For Glory lyrics
Bullets Of Mexico lyrics
Celia lyrics
Knock on the Door lyrics
Lou Marsh lyrics
One More Parade lyrics
The Thresher lyrics
Too Many Martyrs lyrics
What's That I Hear? lyrics
Talking Cuban Crisis lyrics
That's What I Want To Hear lyrics
That Was The President lyrics
The Iron Lady lyrics
The Hills Of West Virginia lyrics
Men Behind The Guns lyrics
Days Of Decision lyrics
Here's to the State of Mississippi lyrics
In The Heat Of The Summer lyrics
The Ballad Of The Carpenter lyrics
I'm Going To Say It Now lyrics
Bracero lyrics
Ringing of Revolution lyrics
The Cannons of Christianity lyrics
Cops of the World lyrics
The Marines Have Landed on the Shores of Santo Domingo lyrics
Love Me, I'm a Liberal lyrics
When I'm Gone lyrics
I've Had Her lyrics
Miranda lyrics
Flower Lady lyrics
Tape From California lyrics
White Boots Marching In A Yellow Land lyrics
The War Is Over lyrics
The Harder They Fall lyrics
The Floods of Florence lyrics
Joe Hill lyrics
One Way Ticket Home lyrics
Jim Dean Of Indiana lyrics
My Kingdom For A Car lyrics
Boy In Ohio lyrics
Gas Station Women lyrics
Bach, Beethoven, Mozart & Me lyrics
Basket in the Pool lyrics
No More Songs lyrics
Chords Of Fame lyrics
Ten Cents a Coup lyrics
Colored Town lyrics
A.M.A. Song lyrics
William Moore lyrics
Going Down To Mississipi lyrics
I'll Be There lyrics
No Christmas in Kentucky lyrics
A Toast to Those Who Are Gone lyrics
I'm Tired lyrics
City Boy lyrics
Do What I Have To Do lyrics
The Ballad of Billie Sol lyrics
Paul Crump lyrics
Ballad of Oxford (Jimmy Meredith) lyrics
Song of my Returning lyrics
The Trial lyrics
If I Knew lyrics
The Ballad Of John Henry Faulk lyrics
Spaceman lyrics
On My Way lyrics
Hazard, Kentucky lyrics
The Passing Of My Life lyrics
That's The Way It's Gonna Be lyrics
Rivers Of The Blood lyrics
Remember Me lyrics
Christine Keeler lyrics
Spanish Civil War Song lyrics
Another Country lyrics
Time Was lyrics
The Ballad Of Alferd Packer lyrics
Talkin' Pay TV lyrics
Another Age lyrics
Changes lyrics
Crucifixion lyrics
I Kill Therefore I Am lyrics
Outside Of A Small Circle Of Friends lyrics
The Bells lyrics
The Doll House lyrics
The Scorpion Departs but Never Returns lyrics
The World Began In Eden And Ended in Los Angeles lyrics
There but for Fortune lyrics
William Butler Yeats Visits Lincoln Park and Escapes Unscathed lyrics
The Highwayman lyrics
Ballad of Medgar Evers lyrics
Draft Dodger Rag lyrics
Half A Century High lyrics
Is There Anybody Here lyrics
Links On The Chain lyrics
Pleasures of the Harbor lyrics
Cross My Heart lyrics
I Ain't Marching Anymore lyrics
Talking Birmingham Jam lyrics
Talking Vietnam lyrics
The Party lyrics
The Power And The Glory lyrics
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