Interpret:

Nick Cave

Album:

Murder Ballads

Have mercy on me, sir 
Allow me to impose on you 
I have no place to stay 
And my bones are cold right through 
I will tell you a story 
Of a man and his family 
And I swear that it is true 


Ten years ago I met a girl named Joy 
She was a sweet and happy thing 
Her eyes were bright blue jewels 
And we were married in the spring 
I had no idea what happiness and little love could bring 
Or what life had in store 
But all things move toward their end 
All things move toward their their end 
On that you can be sure 


La la la la la la la la la la 
La la la la la la la la la la 


Then one morning I awoke to find her weeping 
And for many days to follow 
She grew so sad and lonely 
Became Joy in name only 
Within her breast there launched an unnamed sorrow 
And a dark and grim force set sail 
(Farewell happy fields) 
(Where joy forever dwells) 
(Hail horrors hail) 


Was it an act of contrition or some awful premonition 
As if she saw into the heart of her final blood-soaked night 
Those lunatic eyes, that hungry kitchen knife 
Ah, I see sir, that I have your attention! 
Well, could it be? 
How often I've asked that question 
Well, then in quick succession 
We had babies, one, two, three 


We called them Hilda, Hattie and Holly 
They were their mother's children 
Their eyes were bright blue jewels 
And they were quiet as a mouse 
There was no laughter in the house 
No, not from Hilda, Hattie or Holly 
"No wonder", people said, "poor mother Joy's so melancholy" 
Well, one night there came a visitor to our little home 
I was visiting a sick friend 
I was a doctor then 
Joy and the girls were on their own 


La la la la la la la la la la 
La la la la la la la la la la 


Joy had been bound with electrical tape 
In her mouth a gag 
She'd been stabbed repeatedly 
And stuffed into a sleeping bag 
In their very cots my girls were robbed of their lives 
Method of murder much the same as my wife's 
Method of murder much the same as my wife's 
It was midnight when I arrived home 
Said to the police on the telephone 
Someone's taken four innocent lives 


They never caught the man 
He's still on the loose 
It seems he has done many many more 
Quotes John Milton on the walls in the victim's blood 
The police are investigating at tremendous cost 
In my house he wrote ("his red right hand") 
That, I'm told is from Paradise Lost 
The wind round here gets wicked cold 
But my story is nearly told 
I fear the morning will bring quite a frost 


And so I've left my home 
I drift from land to land 
I am upon your step and you are a family man 
Outside the vultures wheel 
The wolves howl, the serpents hiss 
And to extend this small favour, friend 
Would be the sum of earthly bliss 
Do you reckon me a friend? 
(The sun to me is dark) 
(And silent as the moon) 
Do you, sir, have a room? 
Are you beckoning me in? 


La la la la la la la la la la 
La la la la la la la la la la