This graveyard hides a million secrets
And the trees know more than they can tell
The ghosts of the saints and the scholars will haunt you
In heaven and in hell
Rattled by the glimmer man, the boogie man, the holy man
And livin' in the shadows, in the shadows of a gunman
Rattled like the coppers in your greasy till
Rattled until time stood still
Look over your shoulder, hear the school bell ring
Another day of made-to-measure history
I don’t care if your heroes have wings
Your terrible beauty has been torn
CHORUS
Faithful departed, we fickle hearted
As you are now so once were we
Faithful departed, we the meek hearted
With graces imparting bring flowers to thee
The girls in the kips proclaim their love for you
When you stumbled in they knew you had a shilling or two
They cursed you on Sundays and holy days of abstinence
When you all stayed away
When you slept there a naked bulb hid your shame
Your shadows on the wall, they took all the blame
The Sacred Heart’s picture, compassion in his eyes
Drowned out the river of sighs
Let the grass grow green over the brewery tonight
It’ll never come between the darkness and the light
There is no pain that can’t be eased
By the devil’s holy water and the rosary beads
CHORUS
You’re a history book I never could write
Poetry in paralysis, too deep to recite
Dress yourself, bless yourself, you’ve won the fight
We’re gonna celebrate the night
We’ll even climb the pillar like you always meant to
Watch the sun rise over the strand
Close your eyes and we’ll pretend
It could somehow be the same again
I’ll bury you upright so the sun doesn’t blind you
You won’t have to gaze at the rain and the stars
Sleep and dream of chapels and bars
And whiskey in the jar
FINAL CHORUS
Faithful departed, look what you’ve started;
An underdog’s wounds aren’t so easy to mend
Faithful departed, there’s no broken hearted
And no more tristesse in your world without end