Sheep
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy Lyrics

Born in sheep's blood plain and simple
I was born into a simple, ordinary life, that involved sheep and bloodshed.

Washed out of my mother's temple
I was born from my mother's womb, which was like a temple.

All around I heard them laughing
People laughed at me and my family, because of our unconventional life.

As father sheep had stood there calving
My father helped birth sheep, which was a normal part of our life.

Black they were, with white eyes gleaming
The sheep had black wool and white eyes, and they seemed otherworldly.

Right in heaven life was seeming
At times, life felt heavenly and perfect.

Brittle wind blew snow upon me
The cold wind and snow would blow against me, making me feel frail and vulnerable.

I got blanketed all white and frosty
I was covered by a blanket of snow, which made me feel frosty and chilly.

In my time I grew and killed them
As I grew older, I learned to kill the sheep that surrounded me.

Or out of memory I willed them
Sometimes, I would will the sheep to die or disappear, as if in my memory.

And willed in a greater histry
I imagined a greater history or narrative to explain the violence and cruelty around me.

Out of massacre and mystery
This history was full of massacre and mystery, which was unsettling and disturbing.

Was no longer wealthy, woolly
As time passed, I lost my wealth and my connection to the woolly life I knew before.

Nor anything I could grasp fully
I felt disconnected from my life and unable to grasp it fully.

Someone rush to re-inject me
I wanted someone to give me a new sense of purpose or direction.

God of god's, won't you protect me ?
I asked for divine protection or guidance in my struggles.

Fixed my face and marching onward
I tried to keep a brave face and keep moving forward, despite my challenges.

Marching running ever forward
I pushed myself to keep advancing and making progress.

Buildings were a bloody vessel
Buildings and structures around me seemed to hold something bloody or violent.

Edging me below the trestle
I felt compelled to go underneath a trestle, which was a mysterious and ominous place.

There in coal and whitened gravel
Underneath the trestle, I found coal and whitened gravel, which added to the eeriness.

I built a shield of wooden baffle
I constructed a shield of wood to protect myself from whatever was lurking in the shadows.

Inside of which I raised a fire
I built a fire inside my shield to keep warm and ward off any dangers.

So I could tonight retire
I was finally able to rest and take a break from my troubles.

Everyone will tell you it's evil to be
People will try to discourage you from being free-thinking like me, calling it evil or wrong.

A free-thinking pecker like bonny old me
I am a free-thinking person, unafraid to speak my mind and follow my own path.

But I'll flex my armies and blow out my gut
I am ready to defend myself and make my presence known, no matter what comes my way.

And prove I'll be loved by any old slut
I will show that I am capable of being loved and accepted, even if it is by someone who may be considered less than respectable.

Look here in my wallet, it's loaded and true
I have money and proof of my success in life.

And now I can leave here and go and find you
With my resources and determination, I am ready to leave behind my past and find a new path.