Brimstone Rhine’s
THE HEADLESS BRIDE
Lyrics by C. S. E. Cooney
1. O Loathly Ones
2. Can of Worms
3. Lavender’s Darling
4. Mockingbird and Kestrel Girl
5. Chevalier
6. The Headless Bride
7. Black Widow’s Waltz
8. Barrow Brine
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1. O LOATHLY ONES
ladies in peril
in pallid apparel
arrayed and displayed in
long chains made
of beryl and
silver and pearl, white
ladies, dark maidens
your lidded eyes
hidden, a silken seam
sews them shut
up like a treasure box
sleeping you’re sleeping
i’m keeping you safe
i am reaping a harvest
of all who would
rescue you, blessèd and
saintly knights riding
from every realm
mirrors of moonlight, with
helms all of silver
deliver themselves to me
deftly so sweetly, o
see how you summon them
maidens, my ladies
my loathly and deathly ones
demons, my dreaming ones
dreaming you draw them here
dreaming you grin
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2. CAN OF WORMS
all those years i drifted
bottled up inside my prison jar
didn't think the dark could burn
so bright just like a dying star
hold my hand ’cause baby
all the world is gonna go to bone
did you think I'd let you jump alone?
No
you opened up a can of worms
you sliced right open, dug right in
opened up this can, now open wide
i’ll help you swallow them
opened up a can
and never asked a single why or how
i hope they feel so good now
going down, down, down, down
open up your eyes, surprise
come see what you have done
seven signs and seven seals
you tore right through each one
didn't mama ever tell you
look but touch it not
if you break it, buy it—baby
i am what you bought
you opened up a can of worms
you sliced right open, dug right in
opened up this can, now open wide
i’ll help you swallow them
opened up a can
and never asked a single why or how
i hope they feel so good now
going down, down, down, down
see what you’ve done
see what you’ve done
blotted out the sun
see what you’ve done
see what you’ve done
blotted out the sun...
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3. LAVENDER’S DARLING
her kiss is a lavender hiss
is a rattlesnake bite, is delight
is the apple of eden
she’ll feed you, she'll eat you
she’ll break you right open
her trophy, her token
her pretty young plaything
she's lavender’s darling
a she-wolf, a starling
as cold as the winter
as wild as hinterland
slither, come hither
she’ll dare you to love her
her love it will smother you
love if you dare
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4. MOCKINGBIRD AND KESTREL GIRL
Said the Mockingbird to the Kestrel Girl
I’ve a game we two can play
If you’ll just hold still
It’s your blood I’ll spill
And I’ll bathe in it all day, all day
I will bathe in it all day
For I want your eyes more than cherry pies
And he preens his dandy wings
For they light the night
They’re so big and bright
And I like a shining thing, a thing
Yes, I like a shining thing
Said the Mockingbird to the Kestrel Girl
Won’t you touch this beak of mine?
For it’s as hard as bone
And it’s sharp as stone
And I’ve honed it good and fine, so fine
I have honed it good and fine
For your eyes they glow like a circus show
O the pretty bird he sings
And there ain’t no doubt
That I’ll pluck them out
And I’ll wear them in my rings, my rings
I will wear them in my rings
Said the Kestrel Girl to the Mockingbird
Sir, you cannot be denied
Come and take my claw
Hope into my maw
And I’ll open red and wide, so wide
I will open red and wide
Won’t you settle in where it’s warm and dim
Rest a moment if you dare
’Cause you’re sweet as rain
If a featherbrain
And I like my birdies rare, so rare
Yes, I like my birdies rare
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5. CHEVALIER
Sweet Chevalier
My Gilles de Rais
My bloody butcher boy
My right-hand man
My one-man band
My faithful friend
My holy angel toy
You never heard the bells, the bells
But loved the blood they promised you
The scrape of blade to bone to blade
You said they played a music too
Sweet Chevalier
I went away
You dreamed that night of flame
And every night
And every day
You prayed one word
You prayed upon my name
You always wanted much, too much
You touched the things
you thought were pure
That tender flesh, that cinder fresh
Their ashes only stained you more
Sweet Chevalier
They'll hunt you down
They'll hound you right into the ground
(Where you belong)
Chevalier, they'll hang you up
They'll hang you high
And I won't say they're wrong
Sweet Chevalier
My Gilles de Rais
I'll come to you, my friend
Listen, don't you hear
The bells so clear
So never fear
We'll never fall again
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6. THE HEADLESS BRIDE
Here is a crossroads
Oh, what have we come to?
Here is a willow tree
Woe is me, woe is you
Here is a woman
Oh, what is that weeping?
Wound up in linen
Oh, sweetheart adieu
Here is a golden ring
Oh, what have we come to?
Here is a wedding veil
Woe is me, woe is you
Here is a slipper
Oh, what is that wailing?
Here is a dagger
Oh, sweetheart, adieu
Here is a bridal bed
Oh, what have we come to?
Here is my maidenhead
Woe is me, who is you
Here is a bloodstain
Oh, dark it is spreading
Here is a gravestone
Oh, sweetheart adieu
Here is a crossroads
Oh, what have we come to?
Here she comes walking
Woe is me, woe is you
She's looking right at me
Oh, dark her eyes staring
Her head she is holding
Oh, sweetheart, adieu
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7. BLACK WIDOW’S WALTZ
Black is her spider web
Black are her widow’s weeds
Black is her collar
And black are her mourning beads
Black is her baby grand
Black is her lace-gloved hand
Black is her casket
All woven of reeds
Red is her hourglass
Red is her windowpane
Red are her pupils
And red is her lipstick stain
Red is her reckless sting
Red is her ruby ring
Red is her bonfire
A pyre in the rain
Black are her widow’s weeds
Red is her windowpane
Black are her mourning beads
Red is her lipstick stain
Black is the blood she seeps
Red are the tears she weeps
Black are her pleasures
And red is her pain
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8. BARROW BRINE
Bury me, o bury me
Down in the barrow brine
Lay me low and drag me down
Down in the barrow brine
Down in the barrow brine, my love
Down in the barrow brine
Where the shark dreams in the dark
Down in the barrow brine
When this fever cools, my love
Down in the barrow brine
When my blood runs cold, my love
Down in the barrow brine
Take my kiss, my braided hair
Down in the barrow brine
Take this tarnished ring I wear
Down in the barrow brine
Keep my laughter, keep my skies
Down in the barrow brine
Salt my lips and pearl my eyes
Down in the barrow brine
Rags my canvas, bone my crew
Down in the barrow brine
White the winding sheet I flew
Down in the barrow brine
Far from harbor, far from town
Down in the barrow brine
I’ll be there to sing you down
Down in the barrow brine
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