The Mountain Goats
Love Cuts the Strings (Jordan Lake Sessions Volume 2)
[Verse 1]
First thing that happened was the river overflowed
The water running through the streets and was sweet and cold
I knelt by the water like a doe by a stream
Punch-drunk, snowblind, as though the whole thing were a bad dream

[Chorus 1]
And then love summoned up the infantry
And Kypris took the horses by the bit for the morning ride
I count my blessings but you can only be expected to count so high
When love cuts the strings

[Verse 2]
I smeared myself with pennyroyal to keep the hounds at bay
And you pokеd your head out of an alley half a block away
And I recognizеd you though I'm not sure how
And the air turned red around you
As a dull chill came down over me

[Chorus 2]
And then love called up the heavy artillery
And the green-eyed goddess got ready for all-out war
I count my blessings but I don't even know what the word blessing means anymore
When love cuts the strings

[Outro]
Yeah
Well, I'd like to welcome back into the building
I can see them on the other side of the glass
Rising, rising, ready to meet the moment
Three young musicians who I've had the honor of working with for a while
The first, of course, Mr. Peter Hughes late of Rochester, New York
Mr. Matt Douglas of Raleigh
And of course the one and the only, Pennsylvania's own, John Wurster
What, say that again?
You have earbuds, I said Pennsylvania's own, Mr. John Wurster
This was our one opportunity to show, to have a twenty minute Roy interlude
And, and friends we have failed you on that front
These guys know any Blue Oyster Cult?
Yeah
Red and black, that's their color scheme
We're gonna play another song off Tallahasee
It's about, sorry, I have rehearsal laughs still
It's about when you get those international small arms traffic blues
Oh, I got 'em man, you got 'em, from running, from running guns, right?
You can only, you know, the life of a gun runner is a lonesome life
And sometimes you become depressed about it, you actually sing about it
That's what this song, it's called "International Small Arms Traffic Blues"