I think this song is much more sinister. In the beginning I believe it's about a man who get his heart broken unwittingly by a prostitute and briefly begins to describes her arrival, roots, and mannerisms:
"The city key of where I's born's Been stolen by someone I thought I knew
She blew in with some angel dust From southern state where love is lust"
"Not a moment passes by
She wets her lips
Sweats her eyes
Baits her tongue with pity for her prey
(Do your best to walk away)
And she transcends the avenue
A smile for me, a wink for you
I guess I'll take my place in yesterday"
He struggles with moving on from her and keeps grudgingly returning to her when the loneliness begins to set in at night:
"And the night is sweet
the night's divine
It stains your teeth
with blood-red wine
And leaves you lyin'
in your enemy's arms
And while you mumble down the hall, something 'bout a skin made wall You find you're just a sucker for her charms"
He then starts to slip into a depression and loses his sense of self due to the staunch reality that the woman he loves doesn't truly care for him as he is just another client to her:
"And the vanity that cakes her face
Sucks you in to death's embrace
Feel your sense of self just fade away (Spread your ashes in the tray)
And see you're just a one man show
And once you're done it's time to go
Hear somebody's footsteps down the way"
He then visits her place of business one last time to presumably kill her and himself, as he wonders how he got to this point of lost innocence and despair when he climbs the familiar, "well worn" stairs to her room only to find her with another "meat hook on display" which is probably another client:
"And the youth protests the failing light
With his shirt sleeves rolled
In the humid night
He wonders where it was that he went wrong
And in denial while he ascends
To a lofty room all dreams end
He watches while his footsteps lead him on
And in the fires he takes his time
The well-worn steps he slowly climbs
Find a line of meathooks on display
(Does your conscience lose its way?)
And in the streets the sirens sing
What word they tell what news they bring
The puppet and his cold coat's strings obeys"
I think this song is much more sinister. In the beginning I believe it's about a man who get his heart broken unwittingly by a prostitute and briefly begins to describes her arrival, roots, and mannerisms:
"The city key of where I's born's Been stolen by someone I thought I knew She blew in with some angel dust From southern state where love is lust" "Not a moment passes by She wets her lips Sweats her eyes Baits her tongue with pity for her prey (Do your best to walk away) And she transcends the avenue A smile for me, a wink for you I guess I'll take my place in yesterday"
He struggles with moving on from her and keeps grudgingly returning to her when the loneliness begins to set in at night:
"And the night is sweet the night's divine It stains your teeth with blood-red wine And leaves you lyin' in your enemy's arms And while you mumble down the hall, something 'bout a skin made wall You find you're just a sucker for her charms"
He then starts to slip into a depression and loses his sense of self due to the staunch reality that the woman he loves doesn't truly care for him as he is just another client to her:
"And the vanity that cakes her face Sucks you in to death's embrace Feel your sense of self just fade away (Spread your ashes in the tray) And see you're just a one man show And once you're done it's time to go Hear somebody's footsteps down the way"
He then visits her place of business one last time to presumably kill her and himself, as he wonders how he got to this point of lost innocence and despair when he climbs the familiar, "well worn" stairs to her room only to find her with another "meat hook on display" which is probably another client:
"And the youth protests the failing light With his shirt sleeves rolled In the humid night He wonders where it was that he went wrong And in denial while he ascends To a lofty room all dreams end He watches while his footsteps lead him on And in the fires he takes his time The well-worn steps he slowly climbs Find a line of meathooks on display (Does your conscience lose its way?) And in the streets the sirens sing What word they tell what news they bring The puppet and his cold coat's strings obeys"