Hold Onto Yourself
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
(I’m so far away from you)
I’m pacing up & down my room
does Jesus only love a man who loses?
I turn on the radio——–
there’s some cat on the saxophone
laying down a litany of excuses
there’s madhouse longing in my baby’s eyes
she rubs the lamp between her thighs
& hopes the genie comes out singing
she lives in some forgotten song
& moves like she is zombie-strong
breathes steady as the pendulum—
keeps swinging
oooooooo you better hold on to yourself
well cities rust & fall to ruin
factories close & cars go cruising
in around the borders of her vision
she says o o o o o o o o o
as Jesus make the flowers grow
all around the scene of her collision
o you know I would / I’d hold on to yourself
in the middle of the night
I try my best to chase outside
the phantoms & the ghosts & fairy-girls
on 1001 nights likes these
she mutters open sesame
& Ali Baba & the forty thieves
launch her off the face of the world
o you know/one day I’ll come back/& hold on to yourself
o baby I’m a 1000 miles away
I just don’t know what to say
cause Jesus only loves a man who bruises
but darling we can clearly see
it’s all life & fire & lunacy
& excuses & excuses & excuses
if I could, I would/ I’d lie right down/ & hold on to yourself
one day I’ll come back to you & I’ll lie down & I’ll hold on to yourself
