The Navesink Banks

"all hope abandon, ye who enter here"

said the sign i read that was hanging above her bed

and the sirens over wailing

but a man cant ignore the signs

you gotta keep a good eye

on the winding road ahead

and my first sin was a young american girl

and i spent time 'neath the tressels

with the punks and the dimestore saints

kept faith and a switchblade tucked beneath my coat

and i ran with dirty angels

slept out in the rain

we were scared and tired and barely 17

and my first sin was the fear that made me old

and i walked down by the shipyards

near the place where i was born

saying "ah maria, if you woulda known me when..."

but she just smiles by the light on the navesink banks

saying "listen baby i know you now"

and she steps into the river

and i just stand by the moon

thinkin' 'bout a ghost i hear at night

and she says your first sin was a lie you told yourself