The Lyre of Orpheus Lyrics

Orpheus sat gloomy in his garden shed
Wondering what to do
With a lump of wood and a piece of wire
And a little pot of glue

Oh, mama
Oh, mama

He sawed at the wood with half a heart
And he glued it top to bottom
He strung a wire in between
He was feeling something rotten

Oh, mama
Oh, mama

Orpheus looked at his instrument
And he gave the wire a pluck
He heard a sound so beautiful
He gasped and he said, "Oh, my God"

Oh, mama
Oh, mama

He rushed inside to tell his wife
He went racing down the halls
Eurydice was still asleep in bed
Like a sack of cannonballs

Oh, mama
Oh, mama

"Look what I′ve made," cried Orpheus
And he plucked a gentle note
Eurydice's eyes popped from their sockets
And her tongue burst through her throat

Oh, mama (oh, mama)
Oh, mama (oh, mama)

"Oh God, what have I done?", he said
As her blood pooled in the sheets
But in his heart he felt a bliss
Which nothing could compete

Oh, mama
Oh, mama

Orpheus went leaping through the fields
Strumming as hard as he did please
Birdies detonated in the sky
Bunnies dashed their brains out on the trees

Oh, mama (oh, mama)
Oh, mama (oh, mama)

Orpheus strummed ′til his fingers bled
He hit a G minor 7
He woke up God from a deep, deep sleep
God was a major player in heaven

Oh, mama
Oh, mama

God picked up a giant hammer
And He threw it with a thunderous yell
It smashed down hard on Orpheus' head
And he knocked him down a well

Oh, mama (oh, mama)
Oh, mama (oh, mama)

Well, the well went down very deep
Very deep went down the well
Well, the well went down so very deep
Well, the well went down to hell

Oh, mama
Oh, mama

Poor Orpheus woke up with a start
All amongst the rotting dead
His lyre tacked safe under his arm
His brains all down his head

Oh, mama (oh, mama)
Oh, mama (oh, mama)

Eurydice appeared brindled in blood
She said to Orpheus
"If you play that fucking thing down here
I'll stick it up your orifice"

Oh, mama
Oh, mama

"This lyre lark is for the birds," said Orpheus
"It′s enough to send you bats
Let′s stay down here, Eurydice, dear
We'll have a bunch of screaming brats"

Oh, mama (oh, mama)
Oh, mama (oh, mama)

Orpheus picked up his lyre for the last time
He was on a real low down bummer
He stared deep into the abyss and said
"This one is for Mama"

Oh, mama
Oh, mama
Oh, mama
Oh, mama

Oh, mama (oh, mama)
Oh, mama
Oh, mama (oh, mama)
Oh, mama

Oh, mama (oh, mama)
Oh, mama (oh, mama)
Oh, mama (oh, mama)
Oh, mama (oh, mama)
Oh, mama (oh, mama)
Oh, mama (oh, mama)
Oh, mama