The River

Flash of the cold chill in the heart of a heat wave Tension hangs thick enough to keep my crooked street paved Haven't worked in three nights/ ain't slept for three days There's Freeway Jesus/ I wonder what would he say Freeway Jesus, wonder what would he say (Repeat 2x) The price tag is prominent/ he'll take whatever we pay What's behind the curtains/ uncertain but determined To reveal the gears turning/ the machine behind the person Pulled back the fabric/ head spun in a whirlwind It was nothing but a white wall/ lightbulb and a serpent Nothing but a white wall, lightbulb and a serpent (Repeat 2x) Nightfall despite y'all/ invite all the servants Hello operator won't you kindly call me Lazarus Been dead a while now/ wonder what comes after this Only see the light the few moments that the match is lit I've heard about the other side/ this ain't how I imagined it Heard about the other side, this ain't how I imagined it (Repeat 2x) Someone must've stole the best pages out the manuscript Went down to the river/ to wade in the water Wade in the water/ and come back to life But when I got down/ got down to the river Was nothing but puddles/ river ran dry (Repeat) The faded photographs taped to the monolithic street posts Remind us of the ghosts that we held dear but couldn't keep close And now they watch us blankly/ but each one at least hopes If their picture fell we could still see 'em here like these folks (Repeat 3x) For now we've got to let them rise and fly away like sweet smoke The woman upstairs is giving birth inside the bathtub She's calling on her maker/ his hotline must be backed up We knew there would be blood/ never guessed it would be that much That's the second time we lost our harvest to the flash flood (Repeat 3x) Lost all my faith but at least I never had much Went down to the river/ to wade in the water Wade in the water/ and come back to life But when I got down/ got down to the river Was nothing but puddles, the river ran dry (Repeat) I only see the light the few moments that the match is lit Heard about the other side/ this ain't how I imagined it