[Fingerpicked acoustic instrumental intro] [Verse 1] Grew up with a Bible And a father's heavy hand They said the Lord would save me I don't think He gives a damn [Verse 2] There's a saloon past the churchyard Where the lamplight bleeds like Christ I'm there most every evening Trading salvation for the vice [Chorus] Let the parish perish Let it turn to ash and bone This bottle is my altar now And I pray here alone They said I'd perish in the fire Well I'm already burning slow The devil's in the details And He's the only one I know [Verse 3] I've seen what sleeps beneath the mines What crawls up from the deep Every night when I close my eyes I see Him in my dreams [Verse 4] The preacher wore a silver watch They burned him for his greed They came to me to bury him At night I hear his screams [Chorus] Let the parish perish Let it turn to ash and bone This whiskey is my communion now And I drink here alone They said I'd perish in the fire Well I'm already burning slow The devil's in the details And he's the only one I know [Bridge] I could've been a good man Could've walked the righteous path But I've seen behind the curtain And I felt the holy wrath [Final Chorus] So let the parish perish Let them rot beneath the earth I know that I'm next in line 'Cause I'm already cursed They prophesied I'd burn in hell Well the fire's in my chest The only hymn I'm singing now Is "let me goddamn rest" [Outro] The bartender knows my order She don't ask me where I've been Just pours another round And says "we're all atoning for our sins" We're all atoning for our sins [Instrumental fade-out] I think the parish perished Their souls haunt me all the same The preacher burned on Sunday When we set his house aflame The devil's in the details And here's the only one I know No Hail Mary, Full of Grace Can save our fucking souls
