Lyrics

[Verse 1] The night stank of diesel, a stranger came to town A cold wind blowing and the rain pouring down Street lights flicker and the power lines moan The moon beat down on a river of bone Someone put the lights out, no one make a sound You won't find a thing down in Oretown [Verse 2] Foundry spits fire and smoke, air's foul and choking Sky's full of sulphur, hills flat and broken Black fogs and whirlwinds and thunder and rain Open drink madness, purple mad pain The circus is over, exit the clowns Nobody's laughing down in Oretown [Verse 3] Ship's in the harbour, cargo's been pawned Barrooms spill sailors all shipwrecked at dawn Smelling of sawdust, uniforms torn Came looking for flowers, only found thorns Dreaming of mermaids in pearly white gowns The captain is sleeping down in Oretown [Verse 4] There's a madman down on Main Street, eyes all aflame Laughing in the thunder of the Number 9 train Selling old postcards in rusty frames A thousand views of Oretown, they all look the same Dressed up in sandals and a barbed wire crown A lot of people lost their minds down in Oretown [Verse 5] Lock up the lawman, let go the thief Rounding up the grey men, nail them to a tree This town was a palace, this town was aglow Then the sky burned orange and the iron river flowed The night stinks of diesel, a stranger came to town The night folded over down in Oretown