Orpheus sat gloomy in his garden shed
Wondering what to do
With a lump of wood, and a piece of wire
And a little pot of glue
Oh mama, oh mama

He sawed at the wood with half a heart
And glued it top to bottom
He strung a wire in between
He was feeling something rotten
Oh mama, oh mama

Orpheus looked at his instrument
And he gave the wire a pluck
He heard a sound so beautiful
He gasped and said "Oh my God"
Oh mama, oh mama

He rushed inside to tell his wife
He went racing down the halls
Eurydice was still asleep in bed
Like a sack of cannonballs
Oh mama, oh mama

Look what I've made, cried Orpheus
And he plucked a gentle note
Eurydice's eyes popped from their sockets
And her tongue burst through her throat
Oh mama, oh mama

"Oh God, what have I done," he said
As her blood pooled in the sheets
But in his heart he felt a bliss
Which nothing could compete
Oh mama, oh mama

Orpheus went leaping through the fields
Strumming as hard as he did please
Birdies detonated in the sky
Bunnies dashed their brains out on the trees
Oh mama, oh mama (oh mama, oh mama)

Orpheus strummed 'til his fingers bled
He hit a G minor 7
He woke up God from a deep, deep sleep
God was a major player in heaven
Oh mama, oh mama

God picked up a giant hammer
And He threw it with a thunderous yell
It smashed down hard on Orpheus' head
And it knocked him down a well
Oh mama, oh mama (oh mama, oh mama)

Well, the well went down very deep
Very deep went down the well
Well, the well went down so very deep
Well, the well went down to hell
Oh mama, oh mama

Poor Orpheus woke up with a start
All amongst the rotting dead
His lyre tucked safe under his arm
His brains all down his head
Oh mama, oh mama

Eurydice appeared brindled in blood
She said to Orpheus
"If you play that fucking thing down here
I'll stick it up your orifice!"
Oh mama, oh mama

"This lyre lark is for the birds," said Orpheus
"It's enough to send you bats
Let's stay down here, Eurydice, dear
We'll have a bunch of screaming brats"
Oh mama, oh mama

Orpheus picked up his lyre for the last time
He was on a real low down bummer
He stared deep into the abyss and said
This one is for Mama
Oh mama, oh mama
Oh mama, oh mama
Oh mama, oh mama (oh mama, oh mama)
Oh mama, oh mama (oh mama, oh mama)
Oh mama, oh mama (oh mama, oh mama)
Oh mama, oh mama (oh mama, oh mama)
Oh mama, oh mama (oh mama, oh mama)
Oh mama, oh mama (oh mama, oh mama)


Lyrics submitted by littleRoom, edited by Mellow_Harsher

The Lyre of Orpheus Lyrics as written by Martyn Casey Jim Sclavunos

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Mute Song Limited

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

The Lyre of Orpheus song meanings
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12 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment

    Nobody believes me, but this song is very obviously influenced by a Ted Hughes poem about a different Greek myth, 'A Song Of OEdipus'. Same chorus, same cartoon violence & bawdiness, even the same playful dodging of a rude rhyme ("pluck...O my God"). I'm not criticising, this is the best song on the album to my mind.

    morbid moragon April 11, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This is a re-write of the Greek myth of Orpheus and his wife Eurydice. Although Cave altered the content of the myth. In the myth eurydice dies from a snake bite and Orpheus convinces Hades that she can go back with Orpheus by playing his lyre. Only one condition: she has to walk behind him all the way up and he must not look to see if she's there. Of cause Orpheus just has to make sure and in that moment she disappear right in front of him. Sad story.

    Andreas1901on February 06, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    wow this song is so cool! And there's hardly any comments on Nick cave! We must spread his music 'cause it rocks! This song is so ace it's like a story, well, it is!

    -broken-on April 04, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Ehh. I saw Cave live, and this was the last song he played.. He made us all sing "O mamma" along with him.. he changed the lyrics slightly, too. It was pretty awesome.. I have a top with the lyrics on too haha. I wonder if it's a real legend thingy. I'll look it up now actually.

    __AwwSugaron February 17, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Ehh. I saw Cave live, and this was the last song he played.. He made us all sing "O mamma" along with him.. he changed the lyrics slightly, too. It was pretty awesome.. I have a top with the lyrics on too haha. I wonder if it's a real legend thingy. I'll look it up now actually.

    __AwwSugaron February 17, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    domeofthesky.com/clicks/lyr.html

    Doesn't really match. O well =]

    __AwwSugaron February 17, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    so, uh, this song is like, awesome, n stuff?

    nishadhamon April 18, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    A funny little adaptation of my favorite myth of all time :-)

    feel me loudon June 13, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    And she said to Orpheus If you play that fucking thing down here I'll stick it up your orifice

    Best Nick Cave lyric ever, or best lyric ever?

    artsluton October 03, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Wouldn't surprise me at all if he came up with this ppun first and the wrote an entire song around it :) Best track on that album IMHO

    FlyingToasteron April 25, 2011   Link

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