The Plague

cover_plague
Release Date   March 11, 2008
Catalog Number   TRC005

Those Poor Bastards surround themselves with organs, pianos, and drums to create a terrible picture of mankind’s impending doom. The vocals are drowned in reverb and piano melodies swirl like drunken vultures in an abandoned church. It’s time to suffer friends. The plague is here.

Formats

Green Vinyl QTY: 500
Cassette QTY: 100
CD
Digital

Track Listing & Clips

1. Sick & Alone
Lyrics
Last night I dreamed of darkness
Last night I dreamed of home
I tried to call my father
My father’s dead and gone

Sick & alone
Caught in a bad time
Sick & alone
Yonder the ghosts fly

The sky was black and threatening
The sky it had no sun
I opened up my window
And bravely cocked my gun

Sick & alone
Caught in a bad time
Sick & alone
Yonder the ghosts fly

Again the day has ended
Again the day is lost
I crawl into my basement
And lock away my thoughts

Sick & alone
Caught in a bad time
Sick & alone
Yonder the ghosts fly

2. Black Lightning
Lyrics
I woke to hear you calling
Black lightning
Oh Momma you’d best quit talking
Black lightning
You say it’s gonna take me?
You say it’s gonna take me right?
You say it’s gonna take me
But Momma I feel like I’m already gone

There ain’t no thunder
There ain’t no rain
The wicked moon is hiding
Outside the birds are flocking
Outside the beasts are talking
Something is changing

Black lightning
Great God Almighty
Black lightning
Lord Jesus save me
The broken clock is ticking over the bed
You cannot kill what is not already dead
Smash! Smash! Burn! Smash! Smash! Burn!

There ain’t no thunder
There ain’t no rain
The wicked moon is hiding
Outside the birds are flocking
Outside the beasts are talking
Something is changing

Yeah I look at the dirt and see the past rising up
Lord forgive us the trees were bare when the river flooded
We were trapped for six weeks with no food or water
And I lost my faith that night brother dug up Father’s bones and lit ‘em on fire
“Praise Jesus!” He shouted
But I could not
My mouth was stitched shut by cold talons of flame
Yeah I know it was wrong but I went ahead and inhaled the sulfur anyway
You see when you’re born in the country
Your path is lit by black lightning

There ain’t no thunder
There ain’t no rain
The wicked moon is hiding
Outside the birds are flocking
Outside the beasts are talking
Something is changing

Black lightning
Great God Almighty
Black lightning
Lord Jesus save me
I need you to destroy these thoughts in my head
Feed my a poisoned slice of spiritual bread
Smash! Smash! Burn! Smash! Smash! Burn!

There ain’t no thunder
There ain’t no rain
The wicked moon is hiding
Outside the birds are flocking
Outside the beasts are talking
Something is changing
Black lightning

3. Barn Burning
Lyrics
I had to come here
There was nowhere to go
They’re gonna follow
My boot tracks in the snow
The ice is falling
And it’s mixing with ash
Thirty people killed
With the strike of a match

Barn Burning
Barn Burning
Barn Burning
Barn Burning

Don’t ask me questions darling
There is no time
What I call justice
Well they call it a crime
I find no joy in this
Or anything else
They make me suffer
While they add up their wealth

Barn Burning
Barn Burning
Barn Burning
Barn Burning

You gotta help me darling
I’m feeling sick
Just smash my skull in
With the back of that brick
It won’t be easy
No, nor will it be hard
It’s just unnerving
Like the eye of a storm

Barn Burning
Barn Burning
Barn Burning
Barn Burning

Don’t even breathe my darling
Don’t make a sound
I see their flashlights poking
‘Round and around
Look at that lynching mob
Their eyes sick with hope man!
Their greatest joy
Will be my neck in the rope

Barn Burning
Barn Burning
Barn Burning
Barn Burning

4. A Curse
Lyrics
Time to put on your hypocrite shoe
You liar, you liar
I’ve been disemboweled by the blues
You liar, you liar
You’re not the thing you said you were
You’re just another curse, a curse, a curse

I seen you there out in the pines
You liar, you liar
That grave you dig will not be mine
You liar, you liar
You’re not the thing you said you were
You’re just another curse, a curse, a curse

I curse the sight
I curse the sight
I curse the sight of you
And yet I need you to survive
Though what I live is hardly life

You etched your face into that tree
You liar, you liar
I feel it out there watching me
You liar, you liar
You’re not the thing you said you were
You’re just another curse, a curse, a curse

Speak to me and clear your name
You liar, you liar
Or I’ll set your tongue aglow with flame
You liar, you liar
You’re not the thing you said you were
You’re just another curse, a curse, a curse

I curse the sight
I curse the sight
I curse the sight of you
And yet I need you to survive
Though what I live is hardly life

5. Evil On My Mind
Lyrics
I’ve got evil on my mind
Got evil on my mind
Got evil on my mind
I’ve got evil on my mind
Evil on my mind
Evil on my mind

Yes

I got the devil inside of me
There’s only one thing I can see
The only color I see is red
I wanna kill everybody
‘Til there ain’t nobody left

I’ve got evil on my mind
Got evil on my mind
Got evil on my mind
I’ve got evil on my mind
Evil on my mind
Evil on my mind

How did this demon grab hold of me?
What did I ever do?
I’ve got a serpent wrapped around
The altar of my brain
Don’t take too much to drive me insane

I’ve got evil on my mind
Got evil on my mind
Got evil on my mind
I’ve got evil on my mind
Evil on my mind
Evil on my mind

Now I’m the Devil’s right hand man
I’m the vengeful hammer of God
I’ll flow forth a river unto thee like a flood
A river teeming with souls and blood

I’ve got evil on my mind
Got evil on my mind
Got evil on my mind
I’ve got evil on my mind
Evil on my mind
Evil on my mind
Lyrics © Derek Dunn

6. I Cannot Escape The Darkness
Lyrics
There is a curse
Upon my every waking breath
And I cannot escape the darkness
It feels like every step
Is gonna be my last
And I cannot escape the darkness\

Some have tried to lift me up
But I only dragged them down with me
For I cannot escape the darkness
The iris of my eye
Is cancerous and black
And I cannot escape the darkness

Tear out your golden hair
And stitch it to my back
For I cannot escape the darkness
Some have tried to lift me up
But I only dragged them down with me
For I cannot escape the darkness

It’s time, my gal
To go and find another
I’ve dug my hole
Now just let me smother

Look at this worthless thing
That slithers on your floor
And I cannot escape the darkness
Just burn my eyelids shut
Then shove me out the door
For I cannot escape the darkness

Some have tried to lift me up
But I only dragged them down with me
For I cannot escape the darkness

It’s time, my gal
To go and find another
I’ve dug my hole

Now just let me smother

7. I The Plague
Lyrics
It was not the rats
It came from the air
All my tires are flat
I cannot go nowhere

Ah!
The plague
Ah!
Is near
Ah!
The plague
Ah!
Is here

It was not the birds
It came from the soil
Dead folks lie in pits
For many wicked miles

Ah!
The plague
Ah!
Is near
Ah!
The plague
Ah!
Is here

A quarantine is in effect
There are not too many left
No one has
yet been immune
Mankind will now face it’s DOOM

Chaos now descends
Look at how we squirm
We are as enlightened
As the wretched worm

Ah!
The plague
Ah!
Is near
Ah!
The plague
Ah!
Is here

From the filth we came
To the filth we go
We’ll burn beneath the rain
We’ll melt within the snow

Ah!
The plague
Ah!
Is near
Ah!
The plague
Ah!
Is here

A quarantine is in effect
There are not too many left
No one has yet been immune
Mankind will now face it’s DOOM

8. You Belong To Me
Lyrics
You’ll never walk alone again
You’ll never have no other friend
You’ll never need to leave again
Cause you belong to me
You gave me your tired hand
And I put on a wedding band
There’s no going back again
Now you belong to me

You’re mine
You’re mine
And you’ll stay that way
‘Til the end of time

If I’m near, if I’m far
Keep the lock on the front door
Remember who you’re living for
Cause you belong to me
And if I should die before you dear
Don’t you think you’re free or clear
I will be forever near
‘Cause you belong to me

You’re mine
You’re mine
And you’ll stay that way
‘Til the end of time

9. Old Pine Box
Lyrics
I don’t want you coming round to see me
Go back into town I wanna think
I don’t want to talk about tomorrow
I’m tired of your God-fearing stink
The rain is always leaking through the windows
No one’s always knocking on the door
Never had a name they call me trouble
And I don’t wanna live here anymore

Throw me in an old pine box
And nail that lid on top

We inherit the sins of our fathers
My daddy was an evil, evil man
I’m proud to say I never really knew him
But I can feel his awful presence in my skin
Who’s that yonder crouching in the corner?
Why sir are you hanging from that tree?
What’s that thing scratching ‘neath the floorboards?
This town it just don’t feel the same to me

Throw me in an old pine box
And nail that lid on top

Brother I have never not been lost
The apples on the tree have turned to rot
And all around I feel the Lord’s eyes watching
If you think I’m gonna whimper well I’m not
What ya gonna do come Sunday morning
When everything you see has turned to dust?
Well I just don’t believe this shit you’re preaching
Forgive me holy father if you must

Throw me in an old pine box
And nail that lid on top

I can’t afford to pay for heat this winter
Ice is crawling up and down the walls
If anyone should ever stop to wonder
Just tell ‘em no one lives here anymore

Throw me in an old pine box
And nail that lid on top

10. Dead Winter Moon
Lyrics
Well come on Jacob
Come on John
I’ve got something I wanna show you
In the big black barn
But don’t tell Lucy
Don’t tell Ann
I’m afraid they might go snooping
‘Round the big black barn

You gotta tiptoe through the sleeping trees
Past the dying bushes and the strangled breeze
You gotta backslide over hungry birds
Beneath the sleeping leaves
Speak in whispered words

Then follow the light
Of the dead winter moon
Yeah follow the light
Of the dead winter moon

You’re sure to find me waiting
By the big black barn
Oh follow the light of the dead winter moon
Yeah follow the light of the dead winter moon

11. Nightmare Lullaby
Lyrics
All of this will pass
I swear that it is true
And someday it will all begin anew
Oh my darling girl
Don’t you ruin your health
By living for the emptiness of wealth
Lay your soul to rest
And I will sing for you
A nightmare lullaby
A nightmare lullaby

I know it can be hard
When you live alone
And your body is a single aching bone
Now it’s getting cold
Summer ends so fast
And winter comes for everyone
at last

Lay your soul to rest
And I will sing for you
A nightmare lullaby
A nightmare lullaby

Be content with death
And disappointment too
For misery is life’s golden rule
All these wicked dreams
I made them just for you
I tell you this to justify your blues
Lay your soul to rest
And I will sing for you
A nightmare lullaby
A nightmare lullaby