Jawbone And The Air-Rifle (Live, Cedar Ballroom, Birmingham, 20 November 1980)

The rabbit killer left his home for the clough

And said goodbye to his infertile spouse

Carried air rifle and firm stock of wood

Carried night-site telescope light

A cemetery overlooked clough valley of mud

And the grave-keeper was out on his rounds

Yellow-white shirt buried in duffle coat hood

Keeping edges out with mosaic color stones

Jawbone and the air rifle

Who would think they would bring harm?

Jawbone and the air rifle

One is cursed and one is borne

The air rifle lets out a mis-placed shot

It smashed a chip off a valued tomb

Grave-keeper tending wreath-roots said

"Explain, move into the light of the moon"

"I thought you were rabbit prey, or a loose sex criminal"

Rifleman he say "why'see I get no kicks anymore

From wife or children four

There's been no war for forty years

And getting drunk fills me with guilt

So after eight, I prowl the hills

Eleven o'clock, I'm tired to fuck

why'see I've been laid off work"

The grave-keeper said

"You're out of luck

And here is a jawbone caked in muck

Carries the germ of a curse

Of the Broken Brothers Pentacle Church

Formed on a Scotch island

To make you a bit of a man"

Jawbone and the air rifle

Who would think they would bring harm?

Jawbone and the air rifle

One is cursed and one is warm

The rabbit killer did not eat for a week

And no way he can look at meat

No bottle has he anymore

It could be his mangled teeth

He sees jawbones on the street

Advertisements become carnivores

And roadworkers turn into jawbones

And he has visions of islands, heavily covered in slime

The villagers dance round pre-fabs

And laugh through twisted mouths

Don't eat

It's disallowed

Suck on marrowbones and energy from the mainland

Jawbone and the air rifle

Who would think they would bring harm?

Jawbone and the air rifle

One is cursed and one is gone