The Man Who Wouldn’t Die (The Ballad of Tony Marino, Part One)

[instrumental intro]

[Verse 1]
Down on Third Avenue, where the cold winds blow,
There was a four-table joint where the lost men would go,
Cheap gin on the counter, bad luck at the door,
And Tony Marino always looking for more.
He wasn't no Capone, never carried that name,
Just a small-time hustler with a big-time game,
Till an old Irish drunk came wandering by,
And Tony looked him over, said:
"There's a man who could die."

[Chorus]
Oh Tony, Tony Marino,
You can deal your cards, but the Devil will know,
Every drink that you poured, every lie that you tried,
Michael Malloy just wouldn't die.
And every time Michael came walking back through,
The grave you were digging got closer to you.
Oh Tony, Tony Marino —
You were killing yourself
and you didn't know.

[Verse 2]
They bought him insurance and waited around,
For old Michael Malloy to lie cold in the ground,
"Give him whiskey for nothing, he'll drink himself dead,"
But Michael drank the bottle and went home instead.
Next morning at opening, there stood old Mike,
Saying, "Tony, my friend, pour whatever you like."
He drank through the morning, he drank through the night,
And Tony started wondering
if the Devil drank light.

[Verse 3]
They poisoned his whiskey with wood alcohol,
But Michael drank deeply and swallowed it all,
They fed him bad oysters and sandwiches too,
With rotten fish hiding what iron could do.
They waited for silence, they waited for death,
But Michael kept drinking and drawing his breath,
Then opened his eyes with a terrible grin:
"If you're buying the whiskey,
I'll have one again."

[Chorus]
Oh Tony, Tony Marino,
How far will a desperate son of a gun go?
You poisoned his bottle, you poisoned his pride,
But Michael Malloy just wouldn't die.
And every time Michael came walking back through,
The grave you were digging got closer to you.
Oh Tony, Tony Marino —
You were killing yourself
and you didn't know.

[Verse 4]
They carried Mike out on a bitter cold night,
Left him under the winter with dawn nowhere in sight.
The snow should have buried him, frozen him through,
But morning came laughing at Tony's whole crew.
Then a taxi came roaring one night through the gloom,
And Tony said, "Surely this sends him to doom."
They hit him and left him alone in the night —
But even a taxi
couldn't finish old Mike.

[Verse 5]
For weeks there was nothing, and Tony could smile,
Thinking Michael was gone and the money worthwhile,
Till the door swung wide open — and there stood old Mike:
"Tony, pour me a whiskey.
It's been quite a night."
And Tony just stared at the man he had slain,
Who'd been poisoned and frozen and run down again,
While somewhere the Devil was laughing inside:
"How many times
does this Irishman die?"

[Bridge]
Iron Mike, Durable Mike,
Rasputin down on Third,
Death kept calling Michael's name,
But Michael never heard.
Poison couldn't take him,
Winter passed him by,
A taxi couldn't break him —
God Almighty, wouldn't he die?

[Verse 6]
By then it was no longer the money alone,
Tony dreamed of that drunk lying under a stone.
There are men who kill for silver,
There are men who kill for pride,
Tony had forgotten why —
he only knew Mike had to die.

February came cold and they carried him away,
To a room where a gas pipe waited for the day.
They slipped in the rubber, they turned on the gas,
And waited in silence for midnight to pass.
No miracle followed, no joke from the sky.
After everything they'd tried,
Michael Malloy finally died.

[Final Chorus]
Oh Tony, Tony Marino,
Now the whiskey is still and the gas burning low,
You poisoned and froze him and broke him with pride,
And Michael Malloy has finally died.
So count up your money, believe that you're through —
But the grave you've been digging
is waiting for you.

[Outro:]
Oh Tony, Tony Marino,
You finally killed him...

Now where will you go?

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[instrumental intro] [Verse 1] Down on Third Avenue, where the cold winds blow, There was a four-table joint where the lost men would go, Cheap gin on the counter, bad luck at the door, And Tony Marino always looking for more. He wasn't no Capone, never carried that name, Just a small-time hustler with a big-time game, Till an old Irish drunk came wandering by, And Tony looked him over, said: "There's a man who could die." [Chorus] Oh Tony, Tony Marino, You can deal your cards, but the Devil will know, Every drink that you poured, every lie that you tried, Michael Malloy just wouldn't die. And every time Michael came walking back through, The grave you were digging got closer to you. Oh Tony, Tony Marino — You were killing yourself and you didn't know. [Verse 2] They bought him insurance and waited around, For old Michael Malloy to lie cold in the ground, "Give him whiskey for nothing, he'll drink himself dead," But Michael drank the bottle and went home instead. Next morning at opening, there stood old Mike, Saying, "Tony, my friend, pour whatever you like." He drank through the morning, he drank through the night, And Tony started wondering if the Devil drank light. [Verse 3] They poisoned his whiskey with wood alcohol, But Michael drank deeply and swallowed it all, They fed him bad oysters and sandwiches too, With rotten fish hiding what iron could do. They waited for silence, they waited for death, But Michael kept drinking and drawing his breath, Then opened his eyes with a terrible grin: "If you're buying the whiskey, I'll have one again." [Chorus] Oh Tony, Tony Marino, How far will a desperate son of a gun go? You poisoned his bottle, you poisoned his pride, But Michael Malloy just wouldn't die. And every time Michael came walking back through, The grave you were digging got closer to you. Oh Tony, Tony Marino — You were killing yourself and you didn't know. [Verse 4] They carried Mike out on a bitter cold night, Left him under the winter with dawn nowhere in sight. The snow should have buried him, frozen him through, But morning came laughing at Tony's whole crew. Then a taxi came roaring one night through the gloom, And Tony said, "Surely this sends him to doom." They hit him and left him alone in the night — But even a taxi couldn't finish old Mike. [Verse 5] For weeks there was nothing, and Tony could smile, Thinking Michael was gone and the money worthwhile, Till the door swung wide open — and there stood old Mike: "Tony, pour me a whiskey. It's been quite a night." And Tony just stared at the man he had slain, Who'd been poisoned and frozen and run down again, While somewhere the Devil was laughing inside: "How many times does this Irishman die?" [Bridge] Iron Mike, Durable Mike, Rasputin down on Third, Death kept calling Michael's name, But Michael never heard. Poison couldn't take him, Winter passed him by, A taxi couldn't break him — God Almighty, wouldn't he die? [Verse 6] By then it was no longer the money alone, Tony dreamed of that drunk lying under a stone. There are men who kill for silver, There are men who kill for pride, Tony had forgotten why — he only knew Mike had to die. February came cold and they carried him away, To a room where a gas pipe waited for the day. They slipped in the rubber, they turned on the gas, And waited in silence for midnight to pass. No miracle followed, no joke from the sky. After everything they'd tried, Michael Malloy finally died. [Final Chorus] Oh Tony, Tony Marino, Now the whiskey is still and the gas burning low, You poisoned and froze him and broke him with pride, And Michael Malloy has finally died. So count up your money, believe that you're through — But the grave you've been digging is waiting for you. [Outro:] Oh Tony, Tony Marino, You finally killed him... Now where will you go?

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