Black
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy Lyrics

Black, you are my enemy
The singer considers black as their enemy

And I cannot get close to thee
The singer has an inability to get close to black

Our life is ruled by enmity
The relationship between the singer and black is governed by enmity

And I can't weaken that
The artist is unable to weaken this enmity

The only way that I can see
The artist sees only one way

Is to hold you close to me
The singer's strategy is to embrace black

To love you for it's meant to be
They intend to love black because it's destined to be

I weaken your attack
This strategy will weaken black's attack

Everything was lucked and downy
Life was comfortable and worry-free

What was good was up from under
Good things came unexpectedly

Until black, that awful tender
Until black appeared and ruined the singer's sense of wonder

Came and popped my sense of wonder
Black destroyed the artist's sense of wonder

All at once all eyes turned at him
Everyone's attention shifted to black

Leaving me an unwatched body
The singer felt ignored

And it sagged, my body's rib cage
The singer felt physically deflated

Out from under ogler's study
Out from under the scrutiny of onlookers

Black was decomposing quickly
Black was deteriorating rapidly

This was found offensive to me
The singer found this offensive

His disrespect for life's proprieties
Black's disregard for the rules of life

Made me scared he would destroy me
The artist feared that black would destroy them

[Chorus]
Repetition of the earlier chorus

So I thought I'd try to cut him
The artist thought of harming black

Try to force him 'neath my level
Trying to put black beneath the singer

The only way to equal to him
The artist believes the only way to be equal to black is to harm him

Would be hit him with a shovel
The singer thought of physically harming black

But to really rise above him
The singer considered rising above black

That would be the final evil
The singer felt that it would be unethical

So instead I asked the sucker
The artist took a different approach

If he'd care to see my rooms
The artist invited black to see their rooms

And as a friend and as a comrade
As a sign of friendship and camaraderie

And all the things that these implied
All the things that come with these relationships

I made him leave what it was that he had
The artist convinced black to leave his previous association

Used to keep us unallied
This association was keeping them apart

Black, you are my enemy
Repetition of earlier statements

And I cannot get close to thee
Repetition of earlier statements

Our life is ruled by enmity
Repetition of earlier statements

And I can't weaken that
Repetition of earlier statements

The only way that I can see
Repetition of earlier statements

Is to hold you close to me
Repetition of earlier statements

To love you for it's meant to be
Repetition of earlier statements

I weaken your attack
Repetition of earlier statements

Now black and I we are together
Black and the singer are together now

Fairly just inseparable
They are now inseparable

And in the terriblest of weather
They are together even in the worst of times

Our bonds are incorruptible
Their bond is unbreakable