lo non mori, e non rimasi vivo. . .

(“I did not die, yet nothing of life remained“) - Dante

the psycho in his rubber gloves
came round with the boys
he said “if music be the food of love
what's this fucking noise”
a mauler clamped around my wrist
with knuckles white as lard
he hit the hi-fi with his fist
it fell apart in shards
they were drinking all my vodka down
like low life vicious drunks
I wanna be a man about town
but not in little chunks
I ought to be more manly
and stand up for myself
but blood runs in my family
and I wouldn't have it anywhere else
liquid cosh a chemical pain
here comes the ground
it's thanks to the finest medical brains
I'm even around
the video went for a burton
the guys just fell about
when I said “please don't slam the curtains
and take the front door out”
what happened next is kind-of blurred
confusion took control
all I heard was a dirty word
my eyes began to roll
the light went out one step beyond
there's nothing left to see
my name comes up I can't respond
not even for a fee
there was no homicide
this much was ascertained
- oh no! I never died
but what of life remained



LYRICS © JOHN COOPER CLARKE