The night stank of diesel and 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
Foundry spits fire and smoke, air's foul and choking Sky's full of sulphur, hills flat and broken Black fogs and whirlwinds of thunder and rain Open drink madness, purple mad pain
The circus is over, exit the clowns Nobody's laughing down in Oretown
The ship's in the harbour, cargo's been pawned Barrooms spilling sailors, all shipwrecked at dawn Smelling of salt and rust, uniforms torn Came looking for flowers, only found thorns
Dreaming of mermaids in pearly white gowns Captain is sleeping down in Oretown
There's a madman on mainstreet, eyes all aflame Laughing in the thunder of the number nine train Selling old postcards in rusty frames A thousand views of Oretown and they all look the same
Dressed up in sandals and a barbed wire crown A lot of people loose their minds down in Oretown
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 When the sky burned orange and the iron river flowed
The night stank of diesel, a stranger came to town The night folded over down in Oretown
