Grief Came Riding

A grief came riding on the wind Up the southern river Thames I was sitting on the bank with my mouth open And I felt it entering I began thinking about our wedding day And how love was a vow And I was thinking about the chamber door Only we can enter now I began thinking about our ancient friends And of kissing them goodbye And then the wind blew under Battersea Bridge And a tear broke from my eye I started thinking about London And nothing good ever came from this town And if the Thames weren't so filthy I would jump into the river and drown Don't be afraid Come on down I'm just sitting here thinking loud A grief came riding on the wind Up the river where the bridges crouch Blowing people back and forth From the marital bed to the psychiatric couch Blowing people far apart Blowing others so they collide Blowing some poor bastard right out of the water Blowing another one over the side Hear the ancient iron-bridge And listen to it groan With the weight of a thousand people Leaving or returning home To their failures To their boredoms To their husbands and their wives Who are carving them up for dinner Before they even arrive Don't be afraid Come on down I'm just sitting here thinking loud Now look there just below the water See the savior of the human race With the fishes and the frogs Has found his final resting place Don't be afraid Come on down I'm just sitting here thinking loud --- Grief Came Riding - Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds