Mother Whale Eyeless

I can think of nowhere I would rather be

Reading morning papers, drinking morning tea:

She clutches the tray

And then we talk just like a kitchen sink play

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Living so close to danger,

Even your friends are strangers

Don't count upon their company.

This is for the fingers,

This is for the nails:

Hidden in the kitchen,

Right behind the scales.

What do I care?

I'm wasting fingers like I had them to spare,

Plugging holes in the Zuider Zee.

Punishing Paul for Peter,

Don't ever trust those meters

What you believe is what you see.

In my town, there is a raincoat under a tree.

In the sky, there is a cloud containing the sea.

In the sea, there is a whale without any eyes.

In the whale, there is a man without his raincoat.

In another country, with another name

Maybe things are different, maybe they're the same.

Back on the trail,

The seven soldiers read the papers and mail

But the news, it doesn't change.

Swinging about through creepers,

Parachutes caught on steeples

Heroes are born, but heroes die.

Just a few days, a little practice and some holiday pay,

We're all sure you'll make the grade.

Mother of God, if you care,

We're on a train to nowhere

Please put a cross upon our eyes.

Take me - I'm nearly ready, you can take me

To the raincoat in the sky.

Take me - my little pastry mother take me

There's a pie shop in the sky.