Those Saints

17th of March, year of '96
Outside the Academy, it's 100 bucks a ticket
Up on stage, playing up a storm
"Maria's Wedding"

Keep your cool, get out the door
Three people lying on a balcony floor
One little bullet change so many lives
When you play in a band you can run but you can't hide

Back in the van we're all counting the cost
Big Murph comatose in New Orleans
Friends dropping off like proverbial flies
But hey, no time to cry

Til one night we're rocking Columbus, Ohio
Johnny Byrne partying back in the East Villageio
Phone ring at 4am, "What's that you say?"
"Johnny just fell off the fire escape"

This could be the straw that breaks the camel's back
Til Geoff and Freddie mount a brass attack
The pipes start screaming out defiance
"This show don't stop until after the last dance!"

So come on, baby, get up off your ass
This ain't no dress rehearsal rag
No matter what you say or do
Life's just gonna make a fool out of you
Makes no difference if you're green, white, orange or blue
Ahh, those saints just gonna keep on marching through

So we go to Ireland, sing about Bobby Sands
But they think we're just a crowd of dumb Yanks
"Em, you don't understand the political culture."
"Don't know your past forget about the future"

Go on home to New York City
The drummer wake up humming "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"
This ain't no Broadway musical,
Your building's on fire

Get back in the van and lick your wounds
Gotta make a new record, write some tunes
When a man from the Mets says, "Are yous available?
Come out and play for us in Shea Stadium
33 years to the day since the Beatles were here
Try your hand at being John Lennon
Kickstart the band into the next millenium"

Shea is rocking, no times for regrets
The rhythym section starts kicking in
Chris comes out rapping "Time to Go"
Banish misfortune, get on with the show.

So come on, baby, get up off your ass
This ain't no dress rehearsal rag
No matter what you say or do
Life's just gonna make a fool out of you
Makes no difference if you're green, white, orange or blue
Ahh, those saints just gonna keep on marching through

Ahh, keep on marching through, baby
Come on, Johnny Byrne, get up and dance baby,
Come on, it's not over yet, come on
Do that old Abner B strut
Put your glasses back up on your head,
Come on, come on, let's get going, come on, come on

Oh when the saints go marching through
Oh when those saints go marching through
Lord I want to be in that number
Oh when those saints go marching...
Through