The Hand That Held Me Down

Oh, the razor in your apple

The affection of your glove

The prison of your company

The snake oil of your love

The heights to which you drag me

Just to hurl your scorn

The trumpets play the livelong day

But they blow so forlorn

Did you hold the hand that held me down?

Did you laugh at my expense?

When there's rust upon your ragged crown

Who will stand at your defense?

And when I unveiled my weakness

On your rodeo of tears

You stood there so vacantly

Your fingers in your ears

And you left by the morning

With all that's left to steal

But every time you say farewell

There's breadcrumbs at your heels

Did you kiss the hand that held me down?

Was your kindness just pretense?

When there's no one left for you to clown

Who will stand at your defense?

But it's ashes, Lord, it's ashes

Soon we all fall down

You take your place among the saints

Make not a single sound

And the hills that held our childhood

The flowers grow there still

You lay beneath them, pushing weeds

And I guess you always will

Could you be the hand that held me down?

When I was sick with common sense

And now your statuettes are all torn down

There's no one left to lean against

And ever since your epitaph

Was spattered on my wall

No one comes to call

They can't stand the stench

But I still sing your praises

Every time the curtain calls

The burden on me falls

Yeah, I alone stand at your defense