Story Behind The Song

The vocals style of this song is in the vein of Sam Cooke & Ray Charles, but the piano & rhythm guitars are more in keeping with Bessie Smith & John Lee Hooker's folk blues stuff. The backing instruments are a combination of self-sampled material and elec

Song Description

The Blues seems designed for songs about hellfire and adultery, so it?s no accident that Ray Charles? Genius & Soulhelped sculpt this mood of repressed doom that takes form of a blinding lightshaft outside the narrator?s window; for some, Bethlehem?s Star

Lyrics

She tells him
She works the graveshift,
But she gets off
Earlier than she's saying;
& she always
Calls in the morning hours
A-knocking on my window pane.

& I can't stand
When she kisses so gentle now,
& then turns 'round
& walks out while saying, "Goodnight";
But she's got to
Head back to home now
& give to her husband what's right;

& I can't get
Me no rest at night
Even when all my shades are closed
With that Star of
David shining
Through my window,
& these demons
With their scratching
(That I accidentally leased)
Through the registers crawl while I pray like I could be released.

But when her
Fingertips touch my face,
My world's all
She wants me to see,
& when she
Gives me her hand to taste
I don't know what's happening to me.
& so I stare
Up at the ceiling
All night long
& wait for her knock;
I know that that star's glare
Is meant just for me
Sure as those demons
Are prying the locks
Off my vent,
& it's me who have sent
Them scurrying to me like a pox.

(Watching this I move up closer to the radiator corner.
The sound of clawing steam arrives & builds while through the ceiling.
One flight up I hear rapid drops on varnished wood
& hold out my hands as the Angel is pulling
A drowned man?s head from an enormous vat of gumbo.
It shocks me down; I leave a faint print there
As I wipe my hands on the wall. I?ve always feared the color brown;
For some unknown reason, it scares . . .)

Oh & God knows
That I love you, babe,
& I wish that you did too,
But I can't go
On swaying
To this old Salome tune;
You say you
Wanna feel me
Deep inside of you,
But you're jiving 'cause there ain't no room for me and him too.

& I won't be
Thinking too clearly now
'Till I've got me
Some distance from you,
'Cause in the night
That star so bright
Keeps shining like it just turned noon.

Oh won't you help
Mary Magdalene?
On my behalf
Could you intercede?
I know it's almost
The date of His birthday.
If you could please tell Him
I'd like to be freed?
Just say one word,
One word & I know
If you ask then I shall be released.