Promised Land

Salt in the speech, sleep in the street, same grey sermon, seven days a week Bell in the blood, chalk in the throat, buttoned-up weather, buttoned-up coat Roll call, y’all call, names in a row learn how to answer, learn not to know Night went slick on the harbour glass red light, don’t look, let it pass Then a beat slipped in where belief wore thin Island centre, I’m in a cage, fixed face in a fitted frame Room says “world” and world says “which?” Truth talks clean till the low-end hits I crossed the border and the line crossed me, cut my script at the centre seam Took my soul, in the city of dreams Let it in under skin Lose the map, begin again Not reborn, not redeemed, just less certain what I mean Basement breath, wet cement, blue bulb buzz and a radiator bent Tongues tripped time, time tripped back, a laugh came late and landed on the track We moved wrong, the groove moved right Lost our names in borrowed light And the face in the black shop glass showed up late, though let me pass Beat slipped in where belief wore thin Island centre, I’m in a cage, fixed face in a fitted frame Room says “world” and world says “which?” Truth talks clean till the low-end hits I crossed the border and the line crossed me, cut my script at the centre seam Took my soul, in the city of dreams Let it in, let it sting Let the strange unname the thing Let it slip, let it slide Let it spoil the alibi Inside out, outside in Who I was won’t fit my skin Sea says stay, lights say pass Old words fog the harbour glass The sign for the promised land The sight of changing hands