Friday, January 14, 2011

How do the angels get to sleep when the devil leaves the porch light on?



Mr. Siegal
Tom Waits


I spent all my money in a Mexican whorehouse
Across the street from a catholic church
And then I wiped off my revolver
And I buttoned up my burgundy shirt

I shot the morning in the back
With my red wings on
I told the sun he'd better go back down
And if I can find a book of matches
I'm goin' to burn this hotel down

You got to tell me brave captain
Why are the wicked so strong?
How do the Angels get to sleep
When the Devil leaves the porch light on

Well, I dropped thirty grand on the nugget slots
I had to sell my ass on Fremont Street
And the drummer said there's sanctuary
Over at the Baghdad room

And now it's one for the money
Two for the show
Three to get ready, and go man go
I said, "Tell me Mr. Siegel
How do I get out of here?"

Well, Willard's knocked out on a bottle of heat
Drivin' dangerous curves across the dirty sheets
He said, "Man you ought to see her
When her parents are gone
Man you ought to hear her when the siren's on"

I said, tell me brave captain
Why are the wicked so strong
How do the Angels get to sleep
When the Devil leaves the porch light on

Don't you know that ain't no broken bottle
That I picked up in my headlights
On the other side of the Nevada line
Where they live hard die young
And have a good lookin' corpse every time

Well, you know the pit-boss
Said I should keep movin'
This is where you go when you die
And so I shot a black beauty
And I kissed her right between the eyes

Well, Willard's knocked out on a bottle of heat
Drivin' dangerous curves across the dirty sheets
He said, "When the bitches wound up
And her parents are gone
Man you ought to hear her when the siren's on"

I said, tell me brave captain
Why are the wicked so strong
How do the Angels get to sleep
When the Devil leaves the porch light on

I spent all my money in a Mexican whorehouse
Across the street from a catholic church
And then I wiped off my revolver
And I buttoned up my burgundy shirt

I shot the morning in the back
With my red wings on
I told the sun he'd better go back down
And if I can find a book of matches
I'm goin' to burn this hotel down

And now it's one for the money
Two for the show
Three to get ready, and go man go
I said, "Tell me Mr. Siegel
How do I get out of here?"

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