ADAM RAISED A CAIN^©

Live 19 Feb 2003 version

In the summer that I was baptized, my father held me to his side
As they put me into the water, he said how on that day I cried
We were prisoners of love, a love in chains
He was standin' there in the door, I was standin' in the rain
With the same hot blood running in our veins
Adam raised a Cain

Well all of the old faces they ask you why you're back
They fit you with position and the keys to your Cadillac
In the darkness of your room your mother calls you by your true name
You remember the faces, the places, the names
You know it's never over, it's relentless as the rain
Adam raised a Cain

In the Bible, mamma, Cain slew Abel, East of Eden, now he was cast
You're born into this life paying for the sins of somebody else's past
For the sins of somebody else's past
Now Daddy worked his whole life for nothing but the pain
How he walks these empty rooms looking for someone to blame
You inherit the sins, you inherit the flames
Adam raised a Cain

Yeah lost but not forgotten in the dark heart of a dream
Adam raised a Cain

The above lyrics refer to the live acoustic 19 Feb 2003 performance from Somerville Theatre, Somerville, MA, during the first of the the two DoubleTake Magazine benefit shows.

Check also the album's version (more details), outtake version, live 07 Jul 1978 version, live 28 Feb 1988 version, live 28 Jun 1988 version, live 01 Jun 1993 version, live 11 Feb 1997 version, and live 01 Sep 1999 version.

Spoken outro on 19 Feb 2003 at Somerville Theatre, Somerville, MA:

Thank you. These were songs that uh, the "Darkness" songs are songs that I always return to. They're still some of my favorite to play.

[talks about "Darkness"...]

But uh, "Adam Raised A Cain", that was religion, family, and somebody said that all rock angst boils down to [chuckle] daddy. And uh... of course you know that uh, a certain amount, that is true, yes. But uh... I was, was talking to Bob [Bob Coles] backstage and he said "man, those are early songs," yeah you know, and I, and I said "yeah, I hope I'm not boring you in 'you're born in this life paying for the sins of somebody else's past', and man, I didn't spend a dime on analysis at that point." [cheers] I wouldn't be as dumb as I look, you know. But uh, those are songs that I, I always go back to, they always hold something for me. And uh, I carry on with this, with this religion, fathers and sons, family... Once you start mixing all those things together you are... You're gonna deliver it, receive, and ask ???, so [chuckles]... Anyway, this was uh...