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Flash Pan Hunter Lyrics
(Tom Waits/William Burroughs)
The flash pan hunter sways with the wind
His rifle is the sound of the morning
Each sulfurous bullet way have it's own wit
Each cartridge comes with a warning
Beware of elaborate telescopic meats
They will find their way back to the forest
CHORUS
For Wilhelm can't wait
To be Peg Leg's crown
As the briar is strangling
The rose back down
His back shall be my slender new branch
It will sway and bend in the breeze
As the devil does his polka
Wit ha hatchet in his hand
As a sniper in the branches of the trees
As the vulture flutters down
As the snake sheds his dove
Wilhelm's cutting off his fingers
So they'll fit into his glove
CHORUS
His rifle is the sound of the morning
Each sulfurous bullet way have it's own wit
Each cartridge comes with a warning
Beware of elaborate telescopic meats
They will find their way back to the forest
For Wilhelm can't wait
To be Peg Leg's crown
As the briar is strangling
The rose back down
It will sway and bend in the breeze
As the devil does his polka
Wit ha hatchet in his hand
As a sniper in the branches of the trees
As the vulture flutters down
As the snake sheds his dove
Wilhelm's cutting off his fingers
So they'll fit into his glove
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lyrics by william s. burroughs.
"As the vulture flutters down As the snake sheds his dove Wilhelm's cutting off his fingers So they'll fit into his glove"
Such great imagery. One of my favorite lyrics of all time.
Like most of the songs in the album/play, this is a commentary on Wilhelm's dilemma; he has struck a deal with the devil (Peg Leg) to become a hunter that never misses, but one day, one of his bullets will be controlled by the devil himself. This has always carried obvious consequences, but his pride/desire ("telescopic meat" leading him to the forest) and pressure to conform and be a proper hunter for his bride has led him to accept a desperate deal that will cost him everything (hence "cutting off his fingers so they'll fit into the glove"). He will another prize for the devil, "Peg Leg's crown", his "slender new branch" on his vast tree of other victims.
And as is the case with this entire story, this should be looked at as an analogy for addiction. Many people use drugs or alcohol as a crutch to get through life, but are all too aware of the decline it will inevitably lead them on. The message of this song and play is that if you take a shortcut to happiness through addiction, consequences will one day catch up to you.