The Soft Parade

When I was back there in seminary school
There was a person there who put forth the proposition
That you can petition the Lord with prayer
Petition the lord with prayer
Petition the lord with prayer
You cannot petition the lord with prayer

Can you give me sanctuary
I must find a place to hide
A place for me to hide

Can you find me soft asylum
I can't make it anymore
The Man is at the door

Peppermint, miniskirts, chocolate candy
Champion sax and a girl named Sandy

There's only four ways to get unraveled
One is to sleep and the other is travel, da da
One is a bandit up in the hills
One is to love your neighbor 'till his wife gets home

Catacombs, nursery bones
Winter women, growing stones
Carrying babies to the river
Streets and shoes, avenues
Letter writers, selling news

The monk bought lunch

He bought a little (Yes, he did)
This is the best part of the trip
This is the trip, the best part
I really like (What'd he say?)

Yeah

Yeah, right
Pretty good

Yeah, I'm proud to be a part of this number

Successful hills are here to stay
Everything must be this way
Gentle streets where people play
Welcome to the Soft Parade
All our lives we sweat and save
Building for a shallow grave
Must be something else we say
Somehow to defend this place
Everything must be this way
Everything must be this way, yeah

The Soft Parade has now begun
Listen to the engines hum
People out to have some fun
Cobra on my left
Leopard on my right, yeah

The deer woman in a silk dress
Girls with beads around their necks
Kiss the hunter of the green vest
Who has wrestled before
With lions in the night

Out of sight
The lights are getting brighter
The radio is moaning
Calling to the dogs
There are
Still a few animals
Left out in the yard
But it's getting harder
To describe
Sailors
To the underfed

Tropic corridor, tropic treasure
What got us this far to this mild equator?
We need someone or something new
Something else to get us through, yeah, come on

Calling on the dogs (Calling on the dogs)
Oh, it's getting harder (Calling on the dogs)
Calling in the dogs
Calling all the dogs
Calling on the gods

You got to meet me (Too late, baby)
Slay a few animals
At the crossroads all in the yard (Too late)
But it's getting harder, by the crossroads (You got to meet me)
Oh, we're going, we're going great
At the edge of town (Tropic corridor)
Having a good time (Tropic treasure)
Got to come along (What got us this far)
Outskirts of the city, you and I (To this mild equator?)
We need someone new (Something new)
Better bring your gun
Something else to get us through (Better bring your gun)

When all else fails
We can whip the horse's eyes
And make them sleep and cry