Lou Reed

The Blue Mask


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They tied his arms behind his back
To teach him how to swim
They put blood
In his coffee and milk in his gin
They stood over the soldier
In the midst of the squalor
There was war in his body
And it caused his brain to holler
Make the sacrifice, mutilate my face
If you need someone to kill
I'm a man without a will
Wash the razor in the rain
Let me luxuriate in pain
Please don't set me free
Death means a lot to me
The pain was lean and it made him scream
He knew he was alive
He put a pin
Through the nipples on his chest
He thought he was a saint
I've made love to my mother
Killed my father and brother
What am I to do
When a sin goes too far
It's like a runaway car
And cannot be controlled
Spit upon his face and scream:
There is no Oedipus today
This is no play
You're thinking you are in
What will you say
Take the blue mask down from my face
And look me in the eye
I get a thrill from punishment
I've always been that way
I loathe and despise repentance
You are permanently stained
Your weakness and indifference
And indiscretion in the streets
Dirty's what you are
And clean is what you're not
You deserve to be soundly beat
Make the sacrifice, take it all the way
There is no ' won't ' high enough
To stop this desperate day
Don't take death away
Cut the finger at the joint
Cut the stallion at his mount
And stuff it in his mouth