I got an email from someone (hi Micah – thanks.) asking for the lyrics to the WIP version of the Throwing Muses song, “City of the Dead”. The song was only ever formally released on one of the Firepile singles, but for obvious reasons it’s been in my head lately, too.
It was written on a Throwing Muses tour and the story it tells is a “real” one, meaning not necessarily true but told in different versions by many people, like a folk song.
I’m not nuts about seeing lyrics printed without hearing the music, so we’ll put the track up on the Free Music page in the Throwing Muses section.
City of the Dead
Some honeymoon
Your body without you
How’d you do it John?
He left the levee on his own
The crab and gators come and gone
So I laid a heavy stone across his head
I’m making him a city of the dead
Some honey sun
You’re lucky to be gone
Crawfish claw your eyes out beyond
How’d you do it John?
I think of all the dead girls
Swimming ’round you now
So I sew my name across your vest
I think of all the dead girls
Swimming ’round you now
So I sewed your name into my chest
I won’t stay married ’cause you won’t stay buried
So stop your talking in my dreams
I won’t stay awake if I can’t kiss your fingers
The Creole quarter misses you but I don’t
It’s like St. Peter said in the city of the dead
The Creole quarter misses you but I don’t
It’s like St. Louis said in the city of the dead
Love,
Kristin
Posted in: words on September 3, 2005