[INTRO — lone boot stomp] [STOMP] You breathing? [STOMP] You drinking? [STOMP] Then you ain't got an excuse. WAKE THE DEAD! [FULL BAND CRASHES IN] [VERSE 1] We got saints with dirty knuckles Sinners dressed in Sunday best Old men bargaining with heaven Young ones putting God to test Somebody stop the old clock Somebody pour the rye If you're waiting to be righteous— You'll be waiting till you die! [PRE-CHORUS] So kick that chair back! Clear that floor! If the dead complain— WE'LL PLAY ONE MORE! [CHORUS — HUGE PUB STOMP] RITES! RITUALS! RASCALS! STOMP YOUR BOOTS AND RATTLE THE GLASS! RITES! RITUALS! RASCALS! EVERY SAINT'S GOT A QUESTIONABLE PAST! Raise one high For the crooked and true The jobs nobody wants And the things we still do— RITES! RITUALS! RASCALS! [xylophone answers — DING DING DING] WAKE THE DEAD— WE'RE COMING THROUGH! [VERSE 2] Somebody digs the graveyard Somebody measures the pine Somebody washes dirty hands And calls the work divine Somebody tells the honeybees Somebody minds the door Somebody does what decent folks Don't mention anymore [PRE-CHORUS] But decent ain't the same as good And wrong ain't always sin— So if you're standing at the edges— COME THE HELL ON IN! [CHORUS] RITES! RITUALS! RASCALS! BANG THAT TABLE STAMP THAT FLOOR! RITES! RITUALS! RASCALS! IF YOU'RE STILL ALIVE THEN GIVE US MORE! No clean hands No spotless crew Just questionable people Doing what people do— RITES! RITUALS! RASCALS! ONE FOR THE DEAD— AND TWO FOR YOU! [BREAKDOWN — bass, boots, handclaps] SINGER: Who's got rites? ROOM: WE GOT RITES! Who's got rituals? RITUALS! Who's got rascals? RAS-CALS! Who's behaving? [silence] ...Thought so. [FULL BAND SLAMS BACK] [BRIDGE] Here's to the hands that buried us The hands that pulled us through The hands respectable society Pretends it never knew Here's to every little custom That survived because we did— And here's to every rascal Who kept lifting up the lid! [FINAL CHORUS — EVERYTHING] RITES! RITUALS! RASCALS! SHAKE THE WINDOWS WAKE THE PAST! RITES! RITUALS! RASCALS! NOTHING HOLY EVER STAYS POLISHED LAST! Raise your glass Let the old bell ring You don't need forgiveness To stand up and sing— RITES! RITUALS! RASCALS! WAKE THE DEAD! WAKE THE DEAD! WAKE— [hard stop] [SINGER, spoken] Dead awake? [xylophone: ding] Good. ONE MORE ROUND.
