Black...

[The Great Quail]

(And I heard as it were, the noise of thunder;
One of the four beasts saying, "Come and see."
And I saw.
And behold a white horse....)

There's a man going 'round taking names
And he decides who to free and who to blame.
Everybody won't be treated all the same
There'll be a golden ladder reaching down,
When the man comes around....

The hairs on your arm will stand up
At the terror in each sip and in each sup.
Will you partake of that last offered cup?
Or disappear into the potter's ground?
When the man comes around....

Hear the trumpets, hear the pipers
One hundred million angels singing
Multitudes are marching to the big kettledrum
Voices calling, voices crying
Some are born and some are dying
Its Alpha and Omega's kingdom come.
And the whirlwind
   is in the thorn tree--
The virgins
   are all trimming their wicks.
The whirlwind
   is in the thorn tree--
It's hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Till Armageddon, no salaam, no shalom
Then the father hen will call his chickens home.
The wise man will bow down before the throne,
And at his feet they will cast the golden crowns,
When the man comes around....

Whoever is unjust, let him be unjust still.
Whoever is righteous, let him be righteous still.
Whoever is filthy, let him be filthy still.
Listen to the words long written down,
When the man comes around....

Hear the trumpets, hear the pipers
One hundred million angels singing
Multitudes are marching to the big kettledrum
Voices calling, voices crying
Some are born and some are dying
Its Alpha and Omega's kingdom come.
And the whirlwind
   is in the thorn tree--
The virgins
   are all trimming their wicks.
The whirlwind
   is in the thorn tree--
It's hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
In measured hundred weight and penny pound,
When the man comes around....

(And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts.
And I looked, and behold, a pale horse.
And its name that set on him was Death
And Hell followed with him....)

* * * 

[The last song written by Johnny Cash]
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://waste.org/pipermail/pynchon-l/attachments/20030912/a375b4ae/attachment.html>