On the road back from perdition I saw a bird Picking at some crust in the gutter The morning fog was lifting off the nighttime trash The woman in the doorway just muttered I’ve heard her speak so gentle and I’ve heard her scream At the tourists as she sits in her blankets The liquor store or Cuban joint is her normal scene If you give her stuff she’s not gonna thank you

On the road back from perdition I smelled the wind Coming from the meat packing plant The kid they call Australia lives down by there You’ll know him by his flittering hands Australia’s got a conversation, goes nonstop Syllables that don’t go together
He’ll wear the coat you give him until the rain stops You’ll find it in the underpass later

On the road back from perdition I saw a man It hurt because he used to be mine His woman passes by in a cloud of perfume They’re sure that they are doing just fine You go through the valley of the shadow and then You climb back out into freedom The road back from perdition is a quiet road All you hear is the sound of your breathing