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Steve McQueen

by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

on B-Sides & Rarities (Part II) (2021), B-Sides & Rarities (Parts I & II) (2021)

Here I am the Moonlight Man with a six-barrel shooter
But I'm not that kinda guy, I have a dream
Sometimes I get the elevator to the top of the Burj Al Arab
And shoot my guns across Dubai
Bang, bang, bang, I'm that kinda guy

But mostly I curl up inside my typewriter
Curl up inside my typewriter and wish that I could die

Your legs are so long they should come with their own elevator
Don't worry darling I'll be coming around to see you later
Because between you and me and my best friend the housefly
I'm a Steve McQueen with a big, beautiful dream

I am god
I am god thinking about god thinking about Steve McQueen

It's for me the sirens and the sylphs do their twilight pining
On Saturday night I walk on someone else's stomach lining

Up and down the street, call me a cab, call me a cab
No I'm a housefly called God and I don't give a f*ck

Here I come up the elevator
Sixty floors hoping I don't get stuck

And everyone out here does mean
And everyone out here does pain
But someone's gotta sing the stars
And someone's gotta sing the rain

I'm the atomizer
I'm the vaporizer
I turn everything to crud
I like it here in your flesh and blood
I'm the elevator man don't you see?
You're a spine lashed, long legged lovely young thing
Call me a cab, I'll drive to the top of the Burj Al Arab and fire my guns across your stomach

Because someone's gotta sing the stars
And someone's gotta sing the rain
And someone's gotta sing the blood
And someone's gotta sing the pain

Watch out you f*ckers
I've got my six shooter and my housefly on a lead
I'm Burj al-McQueen and I'm coming to make every last one of you bleed

God is great, chances are
God is good, well I wouldn't go that far

I'm Steve McQueen the atrocity man
With my strap-on blood porn dream

But mostly I curl up inside my typewriter with my housefly and cry
I tell my housefly not to cry
My housefly tells me not to die

Because someone's gotta sing the stars
And someone's gotta sing the rain
And someone's gotta sing the blood
And someone's gotta sing the pain