I set out on Monday
The night was cold and vast
My brother slept
Though I left quite quietly
My father raged and raged
My mother wept

My life was like a river
All sucked into the ground
And then the hammer came down
Lord, the hammer came down

Many miles did I roam
Through the ice and through the snow
My horse died on the seventh day
I stumbled into a city
Where the people tried to kill me
And I ran in shame

Then I came upon a river
And I laid my saddle down
And then the hammer came down
Lord, the hammer came down

It knocked me to the ground
And I said, "Please, please
Take me back to my home ground"
Lord, the hammer came down

Now I've been made weak by visions
For many visions did I see
All through the night
In the seventh hour an angel came
With many snakes in all his hands
And I fled in fright

I pushed off into the river
And the waters came around
And then the hammer came down
Lord, the hammer came down

It did not make a sound
And I said, "Please, please
Take me back to my home ground"
Lord, the hammer came down

And I pushed off into the river
And the waters swelled around
And then the hammer came down
Lord, the hammer came down

It did not make a sound
And I said, "Please, please
Take me back to hallowed ground"
Lord, the hammer came down

And it threw me around and around
And I said, "Please, please
Take me back to my home town"
Lord, the hammer came down

And knocked me to the ground
And I got down on my knees
And I said, "Please, please
Take me back to my home town"
Lord, the hammer came down

It did not make a sound
And I said, "Please, please
Take me back to my home town"
Lord, the hammer came down

Copyright: BMG Rights Management
Writer(s): Nicholas Cave