It took me years to make my motives clear And the days have not been kind Once a steady gaze and charming smile Has me buried in the lines I find I walk in the noise, quiet it blows And darkness seems to know just where I am Mother, wash the devil from my hands Pray the Lord I have the strength to stand Mother, tell me, was it all a lie? Show me where the angels die There are words that never found my lips There are words I'd soon forget Thought the trick was never to look back But it seems I've lost my grip The slip, the faster, the right now The closer, the God now And somehow all the bullets bear my name Mother, wash the devil from my hands Pray the Lord I have the strength to stand Mother, tell me, was it all a lie? Show me where the angels die . . . . . . Took the road but should have chased the stars Now I've lost my own way home Had a photo of the time we shared But I burned it long ago, I know I struck all the matches, stuck in the ashes Forgive me, won't you simply speak my name? Mother, wash the devil from my hands Pray the Lord I have the strength to stand Mother, tell me, was it all a lie? Show me where the angels die Die Took the road but should have chased the stars Now I've lost my own way home Had a photo of the time we shared But I burned it long ago, I know I struck all the matches, stuck in the ashes Forgive me, won't you simply speak my name? Mother, wash the devil from my hands Pray the Lord I have the strength to stand . . .