The punishment fits the crime
Nothing beats mutilation
Humiliations a disease
Nothing beats humiliation
Nothing beats ya like a cop with a club
Nothing beats ya like a cop in jail
Nothing beats their heads like a cop with a club
Nothing beats their heads in like a cop in jail
Nothing hurts ya like a cop with a club
Nothing beats ya like a cop with a club (in jail)
Nobody rapes them like a cop with his club
Nothing hurts ya like a cop when he's done
Nobody beats'em like a cop in jail
Nobody burns them like a cop with a match
When he burns them he's like a cop in jail
Nobody burns their skin like a cop with a match
Nobody has as much fun as a cop when he burns
BURNS
Humiliation's a disease
(When he burns me)
Burns me
Hurts me
Heat hurts me
Hurts me
Nothing beats mutilation
Humiliations a disease
Nothing beats humiliation
Nothing beats ya like a cop with a club
Nothing beats ya like a cop in jail
Nothing beats their heads like a cop with a club
Nothing beats their heads in like a cop in jail
Nothing hurts ya like a cop with a club
Nothing beats ya like a cop with a club (in jail)
Nobody rapes them like a cop with his club
Nothing hurts ya like a cop when he's done
Nobody beats'em like a cop in jail
Nobody burns them like a cop with a match
When he burns them he's like a cop in jail
Nobody burns their skin like a cop with a match
Nobody has as much fun as a cop when he burns
BURNS
Humiliation's a disease
(When he burns me)
Burns me
Hurts me
Heat hurts me
Hurts me
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I would say it's about police brutality. Just a hunch.
Sadly, this might be more relevant now than in 1984. Or perhaps, 1984 is today! (See what I did there?)
Actually, one of the lines is "nobody has more fun than a cop".
Ironic, brutal reflection on the dynamics of power. Good song, though.
Great song, almost “melodic” in the context of early Swans. I love the way Gira keeps on repeating the words “heat hurts” for nearly 4 minutes and changes the pitch of his voice from brutal powerful screaming to shrieks for help to exhausted, tortured whispering. This is a musical rendering of beating someone slowly and systematically to death.
By the way, here I see some slight inconsistencies with what is actually sung and printed in the lyric sheet that came with the CD.
Furthermore, the lyrics of live versions tended to be even more perverse and vicious, as did the hysterical delivery... Scary stuff.
The punishment fits the crime Nothing beats mutilation Humiliations a disease Nothing beats humiliation Nothing beats ya like a cop with a club Nothing beats ya like a cop in jail Nothing beats their heads like a cop with a club Nothing beats their heads in like a cop in jail Nothing hurts ya like a cop with a club Nothing beats ya like a cop with a club (in jail) Nobody rapes them like a cop with his club Nothing hurts ya like a cop when he's done Nobody beats'em like a cop in jail Nobody burns them like a cop with a match When he burns them he's like a cop in jail Nobody burns their skin like a cop with a match Nobody has as much fun as a cop when he burns BURNS Humiliation's a disease (When he burns me) Burns me Hurts me Heat hurts me Hurts me