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Lick Your Fingers Clean Lyrics
Well, I'll see you at the weighing in
When your life's sum-total's made.
And you set your wealth in godly deeds
Against the sins you've laid.
So you place your final burden
On your hard-pressed next of kin:
Send the chamber pot back down the line
To be filled up again.
Take your mind off your election
And try to get it straight.
And don't pretend perfection ---
You'll be crucified too late.
And he'll say you really should make the deal
As he offers round the hat.
Well, you'd better lick your fingers clean, I thank you all for
that.
And as you join the good ship earth
And you mingle with the dust
Be sure to leave your underpants
With someone you can trust.
And the hard-headed social worker who bathes his hands in blood
Will welcome you with arms held high
And cover you with mud.
And he'll say you really should make the deal
As he offers round the hat.
Well, you'd better lick your fingers clean, I thank you all for
that.
When your life's sum-total's made.
And you set your wealth in godly deeds
Against the sins you've laid.
So you place your final burden
On your hard-pressed next of kin:
Send the chamber pot back down the line
To be filled up again.
Take your mind off your election
And try to get it straight.
And don't pretend perfection ---
You'll be crucified too late.
And he'll say you really should make the deal
As he offers round the hat.
Well, you'd better lick your fingers clean, I thank you all for
that.
And as you join the good ship earth
And you mingle with the dust
Be sure to leave your underpants
With someone you can trust.
And the hard-headed social worker who bathes his hands in blood
Will welcome you with arms held high
And cover you with mud.
And he'll say you really should make the deal
As he offers round the hat.
Well, you'd better lick your fingers clean, I thank you all for
that.
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This song was recorded for the Aqualung B-side My God, and unfortunately didn't make it. It loosely falls into line with the other tracks on the album, being about established religion. I cant actualy decipher much meaning from most of the song though...
This song would be re-worked and included on the Warchild album as "Two Fingers." You can look at my entry there for the meaning, since I really don't feel like going through it all again. Long story short, it's a slam on the Catholic Church and how it seems you have to pay them in order to be saved.
I can see how this song is a slam on organized religion, but I also see this song as a slam on socialism. I can't read the minds of the band members, but when I listen to this song, I feel that it's about government getting into every aspect of our lives and making us all miserable as a result.
A comment on the state of the British welfare state & the state of the state religion, the Church of England