Brian Ritchie
Sonic Temple & Court of Babylon



SONIC TEMPLE AND COURT OF BABYLON, SONIC TEMPLE
AND COURT OF BABYLON. WE DON'T ASK YOU TO BE OUR FRIEND,
JUST REOUEST YOU TO ATTEND. SIT WITH US HERE, OPEN YOUR
EARS, THERE ISA STORY TO HEAR.

GUILLOTINED HEADS SEWN TO BODIES OF DOGS.
CRYSTALS, STONES AND DRUMS CARVED FROM LOGS. COATS
MADE FROM WINGS OF BUTTERFLIES, SOAKED IN PERFUMES
THAT MAKE YOU CRY.

THE TRUMPET NOW SOUNDS. WE RISE FROM THE
GROUND AND DANCE IN CIRCLES TO THIS.



WHY DID YOU LIE TO ME? (RITCHIE)


POMPOUS GRINNING PIMPLE WITH A CHEST OF BARS
AND STARS. SHIT-FACED T.V. SMILE SELLING GUNS LIKE THEY'RE
USED CARS. DROPPING BABYS DIAPERS ON THREE CONTINENTS,
DID  ALL THAT COCAINE GO TO THE SAME PLACES THAT MY TAXES

WENT? MONTY HALL SAYS, "LET'S LOOK BEHIND COUNTRY
NUMBER THREE!" THE ONLY THING THAT I CAN SAY IS, "WHY'D
YOU LIE TO ME?"

WHY DID YOU LIE TO ME? I MAY BE DUMB BUT I'M NOT
STUPID. BABY WHYD YOU LIE TO ME?

CHRISTMAS, EASTER, LENT, THANKSGIVING, GOOD
FRIDAY. SECONDARY TO THE BIG ONE KNOWN SIMPLY AS
PAYDAY. MAKE-UP FACTORY OOZING BLESSINGS FROM BOTH
SIDES OF FACE, WHILE DADDY TOSSES GOOD BOOKS OUT LIKE
THEY'RE TOXIC WASTE 'PIN DOLLARS TO THE DOGHOUSE AS
THEY BEGIN TO SING, "IT DON'T MEAN A THING IF YOU AIN'T GOT
OUR KING!"

PLASTIC DILDO FLUSHES DOWN WHEN THEY PUSH THE
GUILL. ROY RODGERS PULLS THE TRIGGER, BUT DALE EVANS
WON'T USE PILLS. THE LITTLE TRAIN THAT COULDN'T MEETS THE
HOUSE THAT'S NOT A HOME.I THOUGHT I HEARD A
DISCOURAGING WORD WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAM. BEFORE I
REACH MY BEDTIME I'D LIKE TO MAKE A POINT - WHEN THE SHEEP
SAY, "BAAA!" THE PIGGIES WILL SAY, "OINKI"



SUN RA-MAN FROM OUTER SPACE (BALESTRIERI-RITCHIE)


GOLDEN CLOTHES AND PRECIOUS JEWELS. TRUTH
AND MUSIC ARE HIS TOOLS. HIS BAND PLAYS SONGS FROM A TO
Z, HIS OWN BLEND OF ETERNITY.

SUN RA-MAN FROM OUTER SPACE, MILKY WAY MUSIC
SHINING IN HIS FACE.

HE CAME FROM SATURN, LONG TIME AGO, TO GIVE
EARTH CREATURES WHAT HE KNOWS. JAZZ FROM JUPITER, JAZZ
FROM MARS. JAZZ FROM OUT BEYOND THE STARS.

THEY BUILT THE PYRAMIDS ON ONIONS AND BREAD,
BUT THEY COULDN'T BUILD WHAT'S IN HIS HEAD. HE PUTS ON A
SHOW SO WILD AND FREE, THE FINEST KIND IN THE GALAXY.



AMERICA (RITCHIE)


THEY START US OFF YOUNG IN THIS COUNTRY,
SENDING US TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS. HERDING US AROUND LIKE
CATTLE, LOBOTOMIZING US WITH RULES. IF YOU STILL GOT
YOUR MIND LEFT THEY MIGHT TEACH YOU HOW TO READ, BUT
THE MAIN FUNCTION OF THIS PLACE-TO CHURN OUT WORKERS
FOR INDUSTRIAL GREED. NEXT STOP IS THE FACTORY, FAMILY,
HOUSE AND CAR. TIL THE DAY YOU GET LAID OFF, THEN TELL ME
WHERE YOU ARE.

AMERICA. SHOW ME THE AMERICAN DREAM. AMERICA.
WE'RE JUST GREASE FOR THE MONEY MACHINE. AMERICA. GOD
SHED HIS GRACE ON THEE. AMERICA. THE RICH GET RICHER AND
THE POOR GET POORER, THATS WHAT AMERICA MEANS.

SO PROUD TO BE THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE
HOME OF THE BRAVE. WHAT BETTER WAY TO PROVE IT THAN
SEND OUR BOYS TO AN EARLY GRAVE? BECAUSE NICARAGUA,
VIETNAM AND KOREA WON'T LIVE THE CAPITALIST WAY,
WHILE DICTATORSHIP IN SOUTH AFRICA IS EXEMPT BECAUSE
THEY'RE WILLING TO PAY. VETERANS RETURN FROM WAR
HANDICAPPED SICK OR INSANE. SORRY, PAL, WE CAN'T HELP YOU,
WE NEED THE CASH TO BUILD BOMBS AND PLANES FOR AMERICA.


BIG BUSINESS OWNS THE GOVERNMENT, AND THE
GOVERNMENT CONTROLS THE PRESS. THE PRESS SUPPRESSES
THE TRUTH. WE'RE STUCK W~H THE REST. GOVERNMENT OF
THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE, AND BY ASSHOLES. THOSE WHO
RULE THE LAND MAY HAVE CASH IN HAND, BUT I DON'T THINK
THEY GOT SOULS. THE PUBLIC IS DRUNK WITH AVARICE,
IGNORANCE AND APATHY. ANYWAY THEY THINK EVERYTHINGS
O.K CAUSE THEY SAW IT  ON T.V. IN AMERICA




CHRISTIAN FOR ONE DAY (RITCHIE)


HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A STATUE, UU'S COCK AND BALLS
CUT OFF? EVER SEEN A MISSIONARY CARRY A KNIFE AND A
CROSS? I DID IN NEW ZEALAND. MAORIS SHOWED ME THINGS
DEFACED BY CHRISTIANS WHO'D BEEN THERE BEFORE, AND
MADE ME ASHAMED OF MY RACE.

NAZIS RAN THE DEATH CAMPS, THEIR MOTTO, "GOTT
MIT UNS." GOD WAS WITH THEM, AND WITH TRUMAN, BUT NOT
W~H THE JAPS AND THE JEWS.

AFRICAN SLAVES WERE BROUGHT HERE TO FULFILL
OUR CHRISTIAN NEEDS. IF SPACEMEN CAME AND LOCKED US IN A
CAGE, WOULD WE ADOPT THEIR CREED?

THREE HUNDRED SIXTY FOUR DAYS, MIGHT IS RIGHT
GODS WILL BE DONE. BUT THERE'S ONE DAY WE PUT THINGS
BEHIND US, THIS DAY'S FOR FAMILY AND FUN. CHRISTMAS IS
SOON UPON US. HOW I WISH THAT CHRIST WAS HERE. HE COULD
SEE HOW NICE WE CAN BE THAT ONE DAY OF THE YEAR.
CHRISTIAN FOR ONE DAYA YEAR.



MAYERLING (LET'S DRINK SOME WINE) (BALESTRIERI-RITCHIE)


I DON'T DIG THIS SCENE. I JUST DIG MARIE. M GONNA
SET US FREE. DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? M A BIGSHOT NOW,
I'M A HANDSOME PRINCE. CAN I HAVE THIS DANCE BEFORE I
SHOOT US DOWN?

LET'S DRINK SOME WINE BEFORE WE DIE. LET'S HEAR
SOME SONGS BEFORE WE DIE. YOU KNOW I'LL ALWAYS LOVE
YOU, MARIE. AND NOW I KNOW YOU WILL ALWAYS LOVE ME.

I REALLY HATE MY DAD. I HATE HIS STUPID THRONE.
JUST WANT TO BE ALONE WITH MARIE IN BED. COURT LIFE IS A
DRAG. I HATE THAT GERMAN ASS. YOU KNOW, HE'S GOT NO
CLASS. HESAYSTHAT rMAFAG.

LET ME HOLD YOU HAND. YOU'D BETTER CLOSE YOUR
EYES. IVE GOT A BIG SURPRISE. DO YOU UNDERSTAND? YOU
KNOW I'M RIGHT BEHIND YOU. I'VE GOT THE GUN TO MY HEAD.
THANK GOD I'LL  SOON BE DEAD, SO CAN RUN ANDFIND YOU.



NO RESISTIN' A CHRISTIAN (RITCHIE)


THERE'S NO RESISTIN' A CHRISTIAN, SO GIVE HIM YOUR
BREAD. RESERVE YOUR SEAT IN HEAVEN FOR WHEN YOU'RE
DEAD. TURN THE OTHER CHEEK AND GIVE HIM SOME HEAD. KEEP
THAT BIBLE NEXT TO YOUR BED.

REVEREND JIM HAS A GOSPEL THEME PARK. HE PUTS
THE FUN BACK INTO FUNDAMENTALISM. WITH JESSICA HAHN IN A
MOTEL AFTER DARK, HE KNELT AND PUMPED HER FULL OF
RELIGION.

JERRY LEE LEWIS NEVER PAID FOR SEX, BUT JIMMY
SWAGGART DID, AND NOW WHO'S CRYIN'? IF JERRY LEE'S THE
KILLER THEN I SUGGEST HE THROW HIS COUSIN JIMMY TO THE
LIONS.



SO IT GOES (RITCHIE)


JOHNNY DIED TWENTY YEARS AGO, PLACE CALLED
VIETNAM. SHOT IN THE HEAD BY A SOLDIER DEFENDING HIS
HOMELAND. THE SOLDIER WENT HOME TO HIS WIFE, BRAGGED
OF KILLING THE ENEMY. JOHNNY CAME HOME IN A BOX, THERE
WAS NOT MUCH LEFT TO SEE.

SO IT GOES. AS LONG AS WE LET THEM IT WILL. SO IT
GOES. UNTIL THERE'S NO ONE LEFT TO...
SONIC TEMPLE AND COURT OF BABYLON (RITCHIE)

THEY HAD A LOT IN COMMON. THEY BOTH CARED
WHAT THEIR FAMILY SAID. THEIR MAIN DIFFERENCE WAS
COUNTRY, AND THE BOOKS THAT THEIR LEADERS READ. BUT
WHEN THEY MET ON THAT DAY THEY BOTH TRIED TO KILL THE
MAN WHOSE SKIN COLOR WAS DIFFERENT, WHOSE LANGUAGE
THEY COULDN'T UNDERSTAND.

YEAH, THAT WAS TWENTY YEARS AGO, BUT YOUNG
MAN, YOU BEST NOT FORGET HOW THESE THINGS GET STARTED,
OR YOU'RE THE NEXT TARGET. OUR LEADERS HAVE A TASTE FOR
BLOOD, AND IT MIGHT BE YOURS THEY SHED. IF YOU ANSWER
THEIR CALL, THE BATTLEFIELD'S YOUR RESTIN' BED.



HASAN I SABBAH (RITCHIE)

IT'S A DIFFERENT KIND OF WORLD ENCLOSED WITHIN
THESE SPLENDROUS WALLS. A GLIMPSE OF~PARADISE TO COME,
AND ALL THAT'S ASKED IS THAT WE SERVE HASAN I SABBAH.

GIRLS DANCE AND THEN CARESS AS WE INHALE THE
PERFUMED SMOKE. SONG EMANATES FROM STRANGE PLANTS.
HIDDEN FOUNTAINS GIVE SOFT SPRAY.

WHEN WE AWAKEN THE NEXT DAY, WE'RE ASKED TO
LEAVE THE CASTLE GATES TAKING WITH US DEADLY GIFTS TO
MEN WEVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.



REACH OUT (RITCHIE)


WELL, IF YOU'RE TROUBLED, HEAR WHAT I SAY. YOUVE
GOTTA REACH OUT, GOTTA FIND A WAY. TO MEND YOUR
WORRIES STRETCH OUT YOUR HAND TO A BETTER DAY.

NO ONE SAID IT WOULD BE SIMPLE. NO ONE SAID IT
WOULD BE FUN. SOMETIMES WHEN I REACH THE END OF THE DAY
I CAN'T BELIEVE SOME THINGS THAT VE DONE. NO ONE SAID IT
WOULD BE EASY. NO ONE SAID IT WOULD ME FAIR. THERE'S
LOTSA MEAN, CRUEL, GREEDY, UGLY, BAD, SICK PEOPLE
CROWDIN' TO BREATHE THE SAME AIR.

BUT IF YOU DON"T LIKE YOUR LIFE, MAN, DON'T LOOK
HERE. YOU GOTTA LOOK IN THE MIRROR.

NO ONE SAID LIFE'S A PARTY.SURE AIN'T NO
TREASURE CHEST. SAME PEOPLE WHO SAY THEY LOVE YOU ONE
DAY MAY STICK A KNIFE IN YOUR BACK THE NEXT.

AIN'T NO ANGEL IN HEAVEN TO CLEAR YOU A PATH
DOWN HERE. BEST YOU CAN DO IS CRAWL, BEG AND STEAL AND
TRY TO MAKE IT THROUGH ANOTHER YEAR.

WELL, IF YOU'RE TROUBLED, HEAR WHAT I SAY. YOU'VE
GOTTA REACH OUT, GOTTA FIND A WAY. TO MEND YOUR
WORRIES STRETCH OUT YOUR HAND TO A BETTER DAY.


ALL SONGS © 1988 KRAHEEN BMI