There is a little son lost, John Tears, John. Tears, John Bruised in the rain with his overalls torn With one shoe off, one shoe on Tears, John. Tears, John And where will your little son sleep, John? Under the smoke stacks, under the heat? Under the tent where the canopy leaks? Tears, John. Tears, John You’re drowning in the grief of Jupiter’s water Let me open my teeth and cradle you there There’s a bed for the boy, and a rope for the father Both orphaned by heaven, where no child's spared To who will your little child pray, John? Dark and strangers that sleep on the train? There’s blood on the cots, bones on the plates Tears, John. Tears, John Who then will tend to the sheep, John? Treads in a place where the vicious gods preach Where claws come in sharpened on wolves in white fleece Tears, John. Tears, John Tears, John. Tears, John You’re drowning in the grief of Jupiter’s water Let me open my teeth and cradle you there There’s a bed for the boy, and a rope for the father Both orphaned by heaven, where no child is spared Swing from my lips Render your deeds The more that you share The deeper your knees His two little hands push the chair from your feet Drowning in your beautiful grief