Shake Through To Ugly

Rose Polenzani

Compositor: Rose Polenzani

I was told I was a wise man
by a woman I deceived.
And her lover thought me handsome;
He was not to be believed.
If I ever have a baby,
and I die an early death,
make sure she knows her mother,
word for word and breath for breath.

My life was full of mistakes,
since I pulled up the mandrake.

On the day of my recovery,
we were talking on the phone,
and my voice was full of secrets,
and my jaw was full of stone.
And I made you make the journey,
and I made you make the call,
and I crawled into my bedroom,
too scared to speak at all.

My heart was full of regret
as I gathered my debts.

Hey, was it the lamb
that I killed in the summer?
The night has hurt me again,
and I am bathed in dishonor.
Grip this stem of my history
and help me shake through to ugly.

What am I gonna do?
Said I'm gonna pray.
"Who you gonna pray to?" she said,
"Who's your God, anyway?"
Well, I could've said how dare you?

but I know, how dare I?
It was my weakness,
turned us into angry magi.

I had something to say,
but words won't make it okay.

Hey, was it the lamb
that I laid on the altar?
The night has hurt me again,
in the heart of my favorite summer.
Grip this stem of my history
and help me shake through to ugly.