Lyrics

Chicken Neck, was my life a dirty joke?
I was stiff as a rod and then I broke,
and I thank you for this shithole out behind
the lumber yard that smells of sawdust,
freezing rain and woodsmoke.

If you think there’ll be justice in the end
you’re an asshole, but it’s good to have a friend.
You know I built that house with my own hands
and she went and changed the locks.
Semper Fi: on my brothers I depend.

My lungs feel like a swamp
I cannot breathe, I cannot move,
but you can shove your hospital,
I’m not going to improve.
Come back tomorrow.

No one’s faithful and no one’s immune.
Light cigarette on the smoldering moon.
That’s all right.

We had a fire on the lake in the midwinter
–the dogs were snapping at the sparks–
when the girls were very young and kept overstepping
the trembling armspan of the light.

Won’t you go home to your family, Chicken Neck,
and take your throne.
Every thing I’ve ever finished in this life
I’ve done alone.
Come back tomorrow.

We were stationed in some godforsaken slough.
The Sargent caught a gator there somehow
and he sat us down all in a line and he let that fucker go.
At rope’s end it was inches from my brow.

Don’t you let my fire go all rosy-
rosy in your head,
You’re not worthy of respect if you can’t
speak ill of the dead.
Come back tomorrow.

No one’s faithful and no one’s immune.
Light cigarette on the smoldering moon.
That’s all right.