LOST IN THE FLOOD

Live 05 Jun 2009 version

[Spoken intro:] How many shows must a man walk down before he listens to "Lost In The Flood"? Very rarely played, "Lost In The Flood". I think we remember it (chuckles). We'll find out. Go ahead, Roy!

The ragamuffin gunner is returnin' home like a hungry runaway
He walks through town all alone
"He must be from the fort," he hears the high school girls say
This countryside's burnin' with wolfmen fairies dressed in drag for homicide
They hit and run, plead sanctuary, 'neath the holy stone they hide
They're breakin' beams and crosses with a spastic's reelin' perfection
As nuns run bald through Vatican halls pregnant, pleadin' immaculate conception
And everybody's wrecked on Main Street from drinking unholy blood
Sticker smiles sweet as gunner breathes deep, his ankles caked in mud
I said, "Hey, gunner man, that's quicksand, that's quicksand that ain't mud
Have you thrown your senses to the war or did you lose them in the flood?"

That pure American brother, dull-eyed and empty-faced
Races Sundays in Jersey in a Chevy stock super eight
He rides her low on the hip, on the side he's got Bound For Glory in red, white and blue flash paint
He leans on the hood telling racin' stories, the kids call him Jimmy The Saint
That blaze and noise boy, he's gunnin' that bitch loaded to blastin' point
He rides headfirst into a hurricane and disappears into a point
Till there's nothin' left but blood where the body fell
Nothin' left that you could sell
Just junk all across the horizon, a real highwayman's farewell
I said, "Hey kid, you think that's oil? Man, that ain't oil, that's blood"
I wonder what he was thinking when he hit that storm
Or was he just lost in the flood?

Eighth Avenue sailors in satin shirts whisper in the air
Some storefront incarnation of Maria, she's puttin' on me the stare
And Bronx's best apostle stands with his hand on his own hardware
Everything stops, you hear five quick shots, the cops come up for air
Now the whiz-bang gang from uptown, they're shootin' up the street
That cat from the Bronx started lettin' loose, blown right off his feet
Some kid comes blastin' round the corner, but a cop puts him right away
He lays on the street holding his leg screaming something in Spanish
Still breathing when I walked away
And someone said, "Hey man, did you see that? His body hit the street with such a beautiful thud"
I wonder what that dude was sayin', or was he just lost in the flood?
Hey man, did you see that, yes, those poor cats are sure messed up
I wonder what they were gettin' into, or were they just lost in the flood?
Flood

Info

The above lyrics are for the live 05 Jun 2009 performance of LOST IN THE FLOOD at Stockholms Stadion in Stockholm, Sweden, during the Working On A Dream Tour. The song was played in a full-band version featuring a piano intro by Roy Bittan. This was the first of two outings of the song on this tour, and was played by sign request and featured Jay Weinberg on drums.

Promotional poster for the June 2009 three-night stand at Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden

Ticket stub for the 05 Jun 2009 show at Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden

Handwritten setlist for the 05 Jun 2009 show at Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden

Credits

Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.

Available Versions

List of available versions of LOST IN THE FLOOD on this website:

Page last updated: 10 Oct 2010