Record all my misery, Lord: List all my tears in your scroll Put my tears in your wineskin, Lord Are they in your record? Don't wanna be fixed Don't wanna be cold I just want your warmth Your heart to hold I tore my robes again I poured dust on my head Old woes, old ways What must it mean to thee That you call a curse on me! Old woes, old ways A promise compromised, A deal that fell With the forbidden fruit Made my life a living hell Reviled and rebuked I don't wanna be proud I don't wanna be right I just want your truth Your truth tonight I tore my robes again I poured dust on my head Old woes, old ways What must it mean to thee That you call a curse on me! Old woes, old ways I tore my robes again I poured dust on my head Old woes, old ways What must it mean to thee That you call a curse on me! Old woes, old ways I tore those robes again I poured dust on my head Old woes, old ways What must it mean to thee That you call this curse on me! Old woes, old ways

When your brother dies When he’s dead and done Left his wife without a son You’re to take her thighs You’re to take them as your own To ensure that the seed is sown Can’t take a chance with inheritance, Don’t you know? So get in bed and clear your head and You can’t say no Or else: She’ll spit in your face and take a sandal off your feet You’ll be known to everyone all up and down the street You’ll bring great shame to the family name The family of the unsandaled When your brother dies When he’s dead and done Left his wife without a son You’re to take her thighs You’re to take them as your own To ensure that the seed is sown But if you refuse, If you try to get out of it Without a kid She’ll take your shoes She’ll take 'em to Publicly shame you, shame you, shame you She'll be blessed in lawful incest 'though now we'd say "whoa" Such malarkey The patriarchy Keynote Old Woe They say: She’ll spit in your face and take a sandal off your feet You’ll be known to everyone all up and down the street You’ll bring great shame to the family name The family of the unsandaled

Jephthah was a judge Never would he budge He battled against the Ammonites The wise-guy went to war Feeling so secure So sure to win his fight J. made a gamble with God That Israel would beat the odds If he’d make a sacrifice when he returned: That whoever walked out his house be burned! The enemy was delivered into his hands And Jephthah came home a happy man ‘Til his daughter came outta the door— O, he prob'ly shoulda thought of that a little more! Jephthah's daughter died Jephthah tore his clothes And brought down very low He didn’t think to break his vow The duty must be done Lest careless words are flung From tongue, from here, from now His little girl wants to weep for her womb And haunt the hills with tears for her tomb All because her papa was a proud old man Who spoke too soon and couldn’t understand The enemy was delivered into his hands And Jephthah came home a happy man But his little baby came outta that door— O, he prob'ly shoulda thought of this a little more! Jephthah's daughter died Maybe Uncle Abe Could’ve tried to save This sacrifice from being made ‘Cuz Cousin Isaac knows These old daddy woes Although it’s not quite the same Idomeneus and Agammenon Who can really say if they’re wrong? It’s happened once before and it’ll happen again You gotta honor God and the rest is a sin The enemy was delivered into his hands And Jephthah came home the happiest man (In all the land, in all the land, in all the land) ‘Til his daughter came outta the door— O, he prob'ly shoulda thought of that a little more! Jephthah's daughter died (so sad) Dead daughter, dead daughter Dead daughter, dead daughter

The judge of the time Deborah divined And Barak she bid That Jabin the Wise And iron equine Be routed and rid At their feet they fell At their feet they fell There they died! The head of command Sisera a man Thirsting in his bed And Jael just a girl From tent-dwelling world Drove a peg through his head At her feet he fell At her feet he fell There he lay dead! He's dead... Where he fell... He died... There he lay... Down dead...

Sisera's mother picturing the plunder Sisera's mother obliviously musing aloud: "A womb or two for every warrior" "A dyed, many colored garment for my son" Sisera's mother waiting by the window Sisera's mother looking through the lattice, lamenting: "Where is his chariot?" "Why haven't I heard its clatter?"

Maybe Moloch got me Maybe I’ve been deceived But it’s hard for me to follow Hard to believe That all those laws can really be kept I can’t remember one No less the next But this is my land I mustn’t be remiss This is the land Of Leviticus I don’t enter the tents I’m not a priest I’m often unclean From eating the beasts I listen to Aaron and his sons, the holy ones Don’t wanna be cut out Exiled or shunned Yeah this is my land I must not make a fuss This is the land Of Leviticus The blood of a bull The death of a dove These are the things The Lord must love 'Though I'll sin again and again A sacrifice Will satisfy Him He is the Lord There's nothing to discuss He is the Lord Of Leviticus Come Jubilee I'm going home I won't be working I won't have to roam In the fields I'll eat my fill I won't have to worry I won't have to kill Here in the land The Lord promised to us Here in the land Of Leviticus

In those kingless days (old woes, old ways) A woman better watch where she stayed! Listen well to the tale I tell: When the men On wicked whim Pounded down the door “Leave the Levite, you can have his whore!” Horror show About to blow All for nothing more than straight Dirtily a daughter devastated They ravished and raped her They ravished and raped her All through the nighttime All through the nighttime How can it be A man, he is free To let the ladies be abused? A shame, a shame, a shame!

The morning: No grieving “Get up, let’s leave” The man says But no resurrection Relieves She’s dead She’s gone So the man just puts her on On his donkey Riding on its back He's going home With the wife that his life now lacks And when he gets there What will he do? He'll take his knife And he'll cut her up for me and you! On a desert donkey Riding on its back He's on his way home With his wife that his life now lacks And when he gets home You know what he'll do? He'll take his knife And cut her up and chop her for me and you! What does it mean? What can we do?

Eli fell off of his chair Broke his neck then and there Heavy as lead For forty years he led Waiting with a wise and trembling heart Phineas fathered a son Never saw the little one Both mom and dad Miserably dead Everything was broken from the start Where is your father? Where is your God? Where is the glory, O Ichabod? Where was Sam when it all fell? Where were you, Samuel? The ark of god Lost in the flood Of Philistines upon guerrilla scene Ignorant Ichabod Never would think it odd His atmosphere Fraught with fear The great weight of glory can't be seen Where is your father? Where is your God? Where is the glory, O Ichabod?

Gluttony and lust are on the list Pining for the pots of flesh we missed Memorized a time when we were younger Now how can a man handle his hunger? Here without We all pout We whine all the time Desert days Dry malaise Perfect paradigm Grumbling again In the wilderness of sin Sending out our incense in waves, All the people pitched in to be saved Just imagine us in that manner, Wailing for our quail and our manna. Got it wrong All day long Year after year Can't keep camp Or light a lamp In the darkness, we fear Fumbling again In the wilderness of sin Stumbling again In the wilderness of sin Better had we died by his hand? Never let our legs loose on this land? Will the water ever touch our toes? Will the spirit ever splash our souls? Splash our souls! Stoke the coals Illuminate shadows Give us grace All our days Wave away our woes Humbling again In the wilderness of sin