The House

Album: Slipway Fires (2008)
Play Video
  • There's a full moon over this ancient town
    A clock faced the color of the sky
    And every street that we walk down
    Belongs to the house where my father died

    Where prisoners march in luck step with each other
    Reavers test the limit of their reign
    Dragging their dead weight from the other
    While I claim my place, center stage

    I've been thrown by the thrashing of his going
    Chained to his unseen stride
    I've walked in luck step without knowing
    My indifference, my only disguise

    Now it comes through me like an injection
    Anonymous pain throbbing real inside
    And every pulse in my body
    Belongs to the house where my father died

    Won't catch his spirit in a candle
    On or alive in it's guttering glow
    And death comes through these streets like a scandal
    Bent up and beaten, oh, a bitter body blow

    And in bars and shaded back rooms
    Those who can't cope just get high
    But every place this drink takes me to
    Belongs to the house, where my father died

    And there's a full moon over this ancient town
    Head lights numb the banner of the sky
    Rain rages the steadings and the open ground
    And I'm a child fighting shadows with tears in my eyes

    And the valley cannons and thunder
    Trees blow beneath the bruising of the sky
    Like centuries shield the lake from my wonder
    And I'm as helpless as a child hiding from life

    And the face from my mind is fading
    I count the wounds for the very first time
    Tonight there's gonna be a reckoning
    I'm entering the house where my father died Writer/s: JOHNNY BORRELL
    Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 1

  • Colin Jarmy from DoncasterI have just listened to this song for the first time. It is absolutely earth-shattering; so powerful. Now I want to know why Johnny Borrell wrote it. Is it just a brilliant exercise in imagination, or does it relate to something more private and personal?
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Heaven And Hell

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Heaven And HellSongwriter Interviews

Guitarist Tony Iommi on the "Iron Man" riff, the definitive Black Sabbath song, and how Ozzy and Dio compared as songwriters.

Terry Jacks ("Seasons in the Sun")

Terry Jacks ("Seasons in the Sun")Songwriter Interviews

Inspired by his dear friend, "Seasons in the Sun" paid for Terry's boat, which led him away from music and into a battle with Canadian paper mills.

Actors With Hit Songs

Actors With Hit SongsMusic Quiz

Many actors have attempted music, but only a few have managed a hit. Do you know which of these thespians charted?

Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers

Bill Medley of The Righteous BrothersSongwriter Interviews

Medley looks back on "Unchained Melody" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" - his huge hits from the '60s that were later revived in movies.

The Real Nick Drake

The Real Nick DrakeSong Writing

The head of Drake's estate shares his insights on the late folk singer's life and music.

"Private Eyes" - The Story Behind the Song

"Private Eyes" - The Story Behind the SongSong Writing

How a goofy detective movie, a disenchanted director and an unlikely songwriter led to one of the biggest hits in pop history.