Lyrics

A back page thriller started out filler
Broke like the conscience of a serial killer
Slayed every slueth
tryin to track down the truth
as frustration found
opportunists all around
who were willin to sell
but unable to tell
til the bell of the ball
tolled for us all

Kiss and tell
Southern bell
a dead ringer
a real hum dinger

A quarter past fiine,
the carnival was cooking
the main course was divine
and so good looking
someone musta put somethin
in the governor's drink
He turned red, clutched his stomache
went runnin for the sink
A contemporary knight of the round table
thought he was Clark Gable
in bed with Betty Grabel
The feds were on his back
but he swore on a stack
though she cracked his code of armor
he'd never harm her.

She just laughed and fired another round
It made contact with a resonant sound
Ricocheted once, ricocheted twice
Caught the chief investigator
right between the eyes

Chime your light
One more night
One tin soldier
A steel magnolia
Do you remember
what your mama told ya?

She said, "once your face is public property, there's no place to hide
It's either tele-cruci-fiction
or tele-suidice
You're born to suffer
on the cross of your sexuality
to fuck the devil so we may be
sex free.
Be the bell of the ball
Toll for us all
Be just like
Jesus Christ
a dead ringer
dead ringer
dead ringer
a real hum dinger

For anyone who' ever testified
amateur or pro
anyone who's blown the whistle on
friend or foe
every tongue waggin fool
who's ever flashed pink
every pigeon on a stool
every dirty rat fink
For snitches and tattlers, great and small
The bell of the ball tolled for us all
Ding dong ding dong
ding dong ding dong ding
Ding dong ding dong
ding dong ding dong ding

from Begging Her Graces (1999)