The Robber's Tale

My mother was a drunken whore With dogs I slept upon the floor The sewer by the open door The only river I could ever see My mother died, the sheriff came With hungry eyes my coin to claim I bathed him there in pitch and flame And fled the voices calling after me Among the trees I made my home A beast that crawls beside the road And frees the traveller of his load And sends his soul to find the judgement tree Well some men begged upon their knees Some whispered prayers and homilies And some bled out with cries and pleas The moment that the violence came to be For some men die before they live And some men take more than they give And some men sin more than forgive Well damn me for my greed I am all three And so the judge high on his chair With blackened teeth and yellowed hair Smiling coldy did declare Oh listen son the gallows call for thee Oh listen son the gallows call for thee I looked the pardoner in the eye "Have done" I said, "and do not try To turn my heart unto the sky For all is true that they have said of me And if you be a holy man I am the wolf among your lambs My mother's bastard yes I am I'd cut you just as soon as I'd be free For you know that I was born to burn And let the hangman's keep be earned So to the devil I'll return And pay the price you gather here to see For there never was a heaven made for me There never was a heaven made for me"