1996

She was just seventeen
Pious and pretty with a deadly disease
And the weight of the world on her prosthetic shoulder
And by the summer of '96
Her body was cracked like porcelain
Just like some Precious Moments collectible
In a hospital gown and a big, bright golden halo

And so three cheers for my morose and grieving pals
And now let's hear it for the tears that I've welled up
We've come too far to have to give it all up now
We live lives that are rich and blessed
And we'll burn for how we transgress

Now I've mastered the art
Of the open-casket prayer and the singing guitar
And I've found the rewards weren't half what I'd hoped for
And meanwhile we all feigned hope and mirth
As her parents went on and lied to her
All about the success of the surgeries
And how my ex-girlfriend was now sleeping with her fiancé

And so three cheers for my morose and grieving pals
And now let's hear it for the tears that I've welled up
We've come too far to have to give it all up now
We live lives that are rich and blessed
And we'll burn for how we transgress

If there's any justice in heaven
Then God won't let me in
He'll lock the gates and take my weekend pass away
With a sympathetic wave they'll see me off
Reserve my golden crown while I am cursed to walk the earth for millennia
I know I deserve worse but it terrifies me and I can't take it anymore

And so three cheers for my morose and grieving pals
And now let's hear it for the tears that I've welled up
We've come too far to have to give it all up now
We live lives that are rich and blessed
And we'll burn for how we transgress