A In the blue forests, faded and forgotten
I crawled the cotton fields, picking for cotton D The overseer sneered, his whipping was A ecstasy. F#m Im child-like terror I out the tap roots Bm Cards of the lash calling to follow suit E7 I for the swamps, the hounds in hot pursuit D a Jealously. C#7 f#m All the night a figure of fright, as I hid my head C#7 f#m And the buried nose in a cut of my cloths, now torn in shreds C#7 b And they never would until they believed that I was dead E a But I'd never their names E a Oh, who am I to E a I know I'd do the B Endlessly. C#m And all the high-born F#m So and so true, B been handed to the soldiers E When in do as the romans do.
Frail and in the mists of the morning The and the spiders were sadly performing The of the dogs kept up the warning the wood. Sweating and swearing I from the manger The highway appeared to take me from Is there anyone here who would up a stranger? Oh I you could. Then someone replied "would you a ride? " "come in" he said. We 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 his head we took off in a spin Oh I smashed his again Oh you my good friend, I so good. And all the ladies So and so true, Have been to the soldiers When in rome do as the do.
Late in the evening I came to the I to the sidewalks sighing for pity A diamond was from the hands of the pretty To be so kind. Cowards and corpses were competing The rhymes of the riots were repeating I raced to the corner and sped(? ) from the To my mind. Latches and locks, of cops ran from the rain There was silk in the for the whims of the whores shone with shame. I asked for a light from a priest in the I fanned the flames. And the traffic all still To see if someone had been I was glad to a thrill So far behind. And all the ladies So and so true, Have been to the soldiers When in rome do as the do.
A monk and his mother were so dandy A nun was handing out candy The bishop broke out the brandy The we crave. They stuttered and stammered, would I feel like We to our knees, feverishly praying The in the salt-peter seemed to be saying Be brave, be brave. I reached reached for a robe, I preached and I And I the tune. And the greed for the gills was played to the As I promised I toyed their fears, until coins and tears filled the room Then I off down the road Laughing madly a toad God every soulless soul That be saved. And all the high-born So and so true, Have been to the soldiers When in do as the romans do.
A of children were passing the hours I joined in their fun and them my flowers Covered with kisses and with showers That repaid. Taken and trusting, I be their teacher? She looked so appealing, I wanted to her out of reach, unable to reach her Their were raised. by the chalk, the lessons were taught, inside the class They studied the of the samurai schools, they had to pass The was adjourned, the lessons were learned, I on the gas And I watched them make pleas passed the test with ease I gave their degrees, They the grade. And all the ladies So and so true, Have handed to the soldiers When in rome do as the do.
Feeling my weakness, a for company I the ranks of the hot and hungry To teach it means to have love for your country We away. We lowered our for the lines of a border We with the mothers, played with the daughters We followed our fantasies, following It was play. After the war the bullets were bored so we capped the With cynical smiles we put them on trial to the blame Now what kind of beast would love such a Have you no So we hung the by the Oh, we shot in the street Oh, the victory was On day. And all the ladies So and so true, Have been to the soldiers When in rome do as the do.
The bread and the came to be nearing The or somebody must be appearing Pagans and were all disappearing my head. The stones on the were staring and stalling Caesar and cassius were and calling The empire had and now it was falling Or so it seemed. The and the cross seemed empty and lost in dark despair And luminous lies, death in were everywhere The canvas was cold, the was old, I said my prayers Then I crowned him on the Oh, I him as he bled Oh at last, the king is God the queen. And all the ladies So and so true, been handed to the soldiers When in rome do as the do.
Now nothing remained for or burning The losing of lovers was all I was A time for and a time for returning had come to me Back through the and back through the embers Back through the roads and the I remembered My at my side I sadly surrendered Do as you please. The hero was home, and grown, I fell on the floor Mad with romance they started to dance, star was born I bled like the rain, exploded in pain, then I screamed for Oh, make me feel Release me my mind Oh, kill me one time And set me free. And all the high-born So and so true, Have been handed to the When in do as the romans do.