"Underneath the Ground" lyrics

that’s enough, my man. time to clap our hands. call the papers up tomorrow, say we did the best we can. cause our doctor’s in the hospital. the poet just laid down. there’s one good man i know, and he can’t talk right now.

i’d like to hear what you’d say to me if i was bulletproof and free again. or what you’d shout if i was dead in the ground, and buried under another name?

or would you talk about if i loved her now? tell my sins to god out loud. would you cry, cry ‘cause i was gone? would you spit and hiss and curse my name, and embarrass me to the other graves? would you lay right down with me, underneath the ground?

now who you think i am? worse than all the rest? that’s what i’ll be now. just like no one said. did anybody see that? there’s a crack right down my head. but mama, how they’ll cheer for us, while the blood drips down our legs.

i’d like to know if you could see through the soul like i could see to your soul back then. and reach your hands through all the hurt and defenses would you still try if you knew i was gone?

(i wanna caution you to watch out for the wolves. and for the mad, mad weather. i wanna caution you to watch out for the wolves. ... and for someday, when you’re older.)

or would you talk about if i loved her now? tell my sins to god out loud. would you cry,
cry ‘cause i was gone? would you spit and hiss and curse my name, and embarrass me to the other graves? would you lay right down with me, underneath the ground?

i wanna thank you all for your courtesy. i wanna thank you all for watching us bleed.

underneath the ground.






---------original post----------

That's enough, my man, it's time to clap our hands
Call the papers up tomorrow, say we did the best we can
'Cause the doctor's in the hospital, and the poet just laid down
There's one good man I know, and he can't talk right now

I'd like to hear what you'd say to me if I was bulletproof and free again
Or what you'd shout if I was dead in the ground and buried under another name

Or would you talk about if I loved her now, tell my sins to God out loud
Would you cry, cry, 'cause I was gone?
Would you spit and hiss and curse my name, embarrass me to the other graves
Would you lay right down with me, underneath the ground?

(I caution you, to watch out for the wolves, for the mad American weather
I feel the breeze, it warms the cheek, there are ghosts in this house
We imagine ourselves incapable of horror, but the heart is like a viper
Poison, and there are hidden regions in your love)

Now who you think I am, worse than all the rest?
That's what I mean now, and just like no one said
Did anybody see that, there's a crack right down my head
Mama howled and cheered for us while the blood drips down our legs

I'd like to know if you could see through the soul like I could see to your soul back then
And reach your hands through all the hurt and defenses
Would you still try if you knew I was gone?

Or would you talk about if I loved her now, tell my sins to God out loud
Would you cry, cry, 'cause I was gone?
Would you spit and hiss and curse my name, embarrass me to the other graves
Would you lay right down with me, underneath the ground?

Underneath the ground

I wanna caution you to watch out for the wolves and for the mad, mad weather
I wanna caution you to watch for the wolves and for someday, when you're older

Or would you talk about if I loved her now, tell my sins to God out loud
Would you cry, cry, 'cause I was gone?
Would you spit and hiss and curse my name, embarrass me to the other graves
Would you lay right down with me, underneath the ground?

Underneath the ground

I wanna thank you all for your courtesy
I wanna thank you all for watching us bleed
I wanna thank you all for your courtesy
I wanna thank you all for watching us bleed

Underneath the ground

I feel the breeze, it warms the cheek, there are ghosts in this house


This part isn't in the lyric booklet so we may never know, but I definitely hear "wolves" again where people hear "warm", and it kinda sounds like "wolves are cheap" or "wolves'll cheat".


Also this part of the song strikes me as father-son advice.

this song floored me on first listen and still is. I'm hearing "Mama, how they'll cheer for us while the blood drips down our legs?" But I might be wrong

The talking part as i hear it " I caution you to watch out for the wolves and the mad american weather, there are hidden wreaths, wolves and sheep, there are ghosts in this house, we imagine ourselves incapable of horror, the heart is like a viper, poison, there are hidden wreaths (reasons?) in your lies"