Red Right Hand (Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds Cover)

Take a litle walk to the edge of town 
Go across the tracks 
Where the viaduct looms, 
like a bird of doom 
As it shifts and cracks 
Where secrets lie in the border fires, 
in the humming wires 
Hey man, you know 
you're never coming back 
Past the square, past the bridge, 
past the mills, past the stacks 
On a gathering storm comes 
a tall handsome man 
In a dusty black coat with 
a red right hand. 

He'll wrap you in his arms, 
tell you that you've been a good boy 
He'll rekindle all the dreams 
it took you a lifetime to destroy 
He'll reach deep into the hole, 
heal your shrinking soul 
Hey buddy, you know you're 
never ever coming back 
He's a god, he's a man, 
he's a ghost, he's a guru 
They're whispering his name 
through this disappearing land 
But hidden in his coat 
is a red right hand. 

You ain't got no money? 
He'll get you some 
You ain't got no car? He'll get you one 
You ain't got no self-respect, 
you feel like an insect 
Well don't you worry buddy, 
cause here he comes 
Through the ghettos and the barrio 
and the bowery and the slum 
shadow is cast wherever he stands 
Stacks of green paper in his 
red right hand. 

You'll see him in your nightmares, 
you'll see him in your dreams 
He'll appear out of nowhere but 
he ain't what he seems 
You'll see him in your head, 
on the TV screen 
And hey buddy, I'm warning 
you to turn it off 
He's a ghost, he's a god, 
he's a man, he's a guru 
You're one microscopic cog 
in his catastrophic plan 
Designed and directed by 
his red right hand 

He'll extend his hand, real slowly for a shake 
You'll see it coming toward you, real slowly for a shake 
(Grabbing at your peril buddy?) cause you know you ain't 
getting near much as he will take. 

He's a... 
He's mumbling words you can't understand 
He's mumbling word behind his red right hand.