He reuses the verse melody from the previous album's "Dirty Little Religion", the topics of the verses are all over the place, and he packs too many words into one line (goes to show...) and too few in another (it's pretty hard to find), and rhymes "Henley Regatta" with "Persona non grata", but gets away with it all as only he could.
Daddy I'm not gonna tell you that I'm sorry
Cause there ain't nothing you can do to change my mind
I'm not here to know the things I cannot do
We've seen the outcome of the boys who didn't fly
That road outside that you've been taking home forever
That'll be the same road that I take when I depart
Those charcoal veins that hold this chosen land together
May twist and turn but somewhere deep there is a heart
Playing with fire
You know you're gonna hurt somebody tonight
And you're out on the wire
You know you're playing with fire
Perhaps this calling is the channel of invention
I will not blush if others see it as a crime
However dangerous the road, however distant
These things won't compromise the will of the design
Ten thousand demons hammer down with every footstep
Ten thousand angels rush the wind against my back
This church of mine may not be recognized by steeple
But that doesn't mean that I will walk without a God
Rolling river of truth, can you spare me a sip?
The holy fountain of youth has been reduced to a drip
I've got this burning belief in salvation and love
This notion may be naive, but when push comes to shove
I will till this ground
You know you're gonna hurt somebody tonight
(oh, oh, oh)
Out on the wire
And I might not get there
But this little town, this little house,
They seem to be leaning in the wrong direction
I'm not afraid of you no more (oh-oh, oh-oh,)
Playing with fire
You know you're gonna hurt somebody tonight
And you're out on the wire
You know you're playing with fire
(Oh-oh, oh-oh)
Cause there ain't nothing you can do to change my mind
I'm not here to know the things I cannot do
We've seen the outcome of the boys who didn't fly
That road outside that you've been taking home forever
That'll be the same road that I take when I depart
Those charcoal veins that hold this chosen land together
May twist and turn but somewhere deep there is a heart
Playing with fire
You know you're gonna hurt somebody tonight
And you're out on the wire
You know you're playing with fire
Perhaps this calling is the channel of invention
I will not blush if others see it as a crime
However dangerous the road, however distant
These things won't compromise the will of the design
Ten thousand demons hammer down with every footstep
Ten thousand angels rush the wind against my back
This church of mine may not be recognized by steeple
But that doesn't mean that I will walk without a God
Rolling river of truth, can you spare me a sip?
The holy fountain of youth has been reduced to a drip
I've got this burning belief in salvation and love
This notion may be naive, but when push comes to shove
I will till this ground
You know you're gonna hurt somebody tonight
(oh, oh, oh)
Out on the wire
And I might not get there
But this little town, this little house,
They seem to be leaning in the wrong direction
I'm not afraid of you no more (oh-oh, oh-oh,)
Playing with fire
You know you're gonna hurt somebody tonight
And you're out on the wire
You know you're playing with fire
(Oh-oh, oh-oh)
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i definitely think it should have. in case you haven't had a chance to see it live, google this song live at maida vale. he extends that part :)