PRODIGAL SON

London Publishing demo

In a place where outlaws abound from the range
???on a day mountains has fallen to falls???
In a land where boys are forbidden to grow
And Mell is the only master
Were the highway ends and the desert breaks*
and buildings are bent from great earthquakes
And statesmen crawl on their bellies like snakes
And feed of the public hunger
In a land were sky-scrapers scratch the sky
And delinquent daughters to their mothers still lie
Papa stands on the corner he ???waitin' to beat the drum???
Welcome Home My Prodigal Son
When Rivers run raging through city streets
And great eagles have fallen from their lofty peaks
And policemen moonlight the sideshow freaks
for the final crime is committed
When Presidents ride in Ford Mustangs
And the Black man releases his Cadillac ???fangs???
And your check died in bed as the landlord thanks the young girl next door for the rent
Where telegraph wires are attached to your mind
Delinquent daughters to their mothers still lie
Papa stands on the corner ???waitin to beat the drum???
Welcome Home My Prodigal Son
When the telephone rings and falls of the hook
And your legs have been stolen by some defence department crook
And you startin' to think about writing a book
But now you won't pledge allegiance to anything
And the maid comes in with coffee and cake
In a low-cut dress she wore just for your sake
You explain your not dead and she takes it as a compliment
and sticks out her tongue and asks for requests
In a land were skyscrapers scrapes the sky
and delinquent daughters to their mothers still lie
Papa stands on the corner ???waitin' to beat the drum???
Welcome Home My Prodigal Son

This is the London Publishing demo version, shorter than the Laurel Canyon demo version.

* This verse will reappear 10 years later in THE PRICE YOU PAY.