The rain falls down on last year's man
That's a Jew's harp on the table
That's a crayon in his hand
And the corners of the blueprint
Are ruined since they rolled
Far past the stems of thumbtacks
That still throw shadows on the wood
And the skylight is like skin
For a drum I'll never mend
And all the rain falls down amen
On the works of last year's man
I met a lady, she was playing
With her soldiers in the dark
Oh one by one she had to tell them
That her name was Joan of Arc
I was in that army
Yes I stayed a little while
I want to thank you, Joan of Arc
For treating me so well
And though I wear a uniform
I was not born to fight
All these wounded boys you lie beside
Goodnight, my friends, goodnight
I came upon a wedding
That old families had contrived
Bethlehem the bridegroom
Babylon the bride
Great Babylon was naked
Oh she stood there trembling for me
And Bethlehem inflamed us both
Like the shy one at some orgy
And when we fell together
All our flesh was like a veil
That I had to draw aside to see
The serpent eat its tail
Some women wait for Jesus
And some women wait for Cain
So I hang upon my altar
And I voice my acts again
And I take the one who finds me
Back to where it all began
When Jesus was the honeymoon
And Cain was just the man
And we read from pleasant Bibles
That are bound in blood and skin
That the wilderness is gathering
All its children back again
The rain falls down on last year's man
An hour has gone by
And he has not moved his hand
But everything will happen
If he only gives the word
The lovers will rise up
And the mountains touch the ground
But the skylight is like skin
For a drum I'll never mend
And all the rain falls down amen
On the works of last year's man