Mariana

papa came home, loud as a siren's wail
he showed me his badge, and he showed me his gun
he told me to put my hands up against the wall
i said i only spread like this for olga
but it didn't get past my lips before he split them open
and now it would hurt too much to kiss at all

preacher tells me silence is a virtue
olga told me virtue is a sin
now i'm told i've done something illegal
and now jesus wants me to come and lie with him

i remember nights i spent with olga
palm to palm in holy palmer's kiss
sometimes, sometimes we'd call it praying
but i know church never felt like this
she would whisper, voice soft as a little lamb
(yeah, mariana had a little lamb)
those times, i felt i finally understood what god was saying

preacher tells me silence is a virtue
olga told me virtue is a sin
papa tells me to turn my cheek to jesus
then when i die i can go and be with him

but i don't wanna go to heaven
from what they say, it can't be bliss
to spend eternity dancing in olga's arms
there's no heaven could compare to this

in the marketplace there's honeysuckle growing on a fence
i pick a blossom, i try for something sweet
i should have known even nectar would taste bitter here
i glance up and the whole town's on its feet
olga's seen me and her cry
it was like gabriel's horn
i try to answer but my tongue has been broken with fear

preacher tells me silence is a virtue
olga taught me, sometimes virtue is a sin
maybe it's just that jesus is lonely
and now he wants someone to suffer for him

oh god

oh god

olga

olga

copyright Arjuna Greist 1999

this song was inspired by Olga's Birthday by the lovely Rose Polenzani. to see the words to this & her other songs, please visit the lyrics section of her web page. http://www.rosepolenzani.com