Blood On The Sheets

Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Robert Hunter

A song Robert Hunter wrote for the soundtrack of Armageddon Rag. In George R. R. Martin's book the title is variously given as "Blood On The Sheets" and "Blood On The Sheet" (singular). Hunter seems to alternate between singing "Blood On The Sheets" and "Blood On The Streets".

Hunter gave some background in a solo performance on 28 July 1984:

That song, perhaps it's a bit out of character for me. It's a song I wrote for a movie soundtrack - also the song Raging - which some of you may have noticed is somewhat out of character also - because they're fitting this mythological band that's going to appear in this movie called The Nazgul - the name of the movie is "Armageddon Rag" - it will be about two or three years before it's out. Phil DeGuere, the producer of Simon and Simon, is producing the thing like that. And let the word out - it's going to be amazing - we're going to have special effects."
In the event, the movie was never completed. Hunter's solo performance appears on some setlists as "Not For You". The lyrics, as best as I can make them out, are:
You cut my heart out (note 1)
You made me bleed
I can't get it up
Get back on my knees for you
Not with blood on the sheets

One more's the magic number
Baby will you take a check
Charlie's dealing down and under
Fifty jokers to the deck
I can't fold them, 'cause I'm a wreck

[Simple night and] why did we stay so long
Midnight kicks/tricks exploded crime at dawn
Jekyll and Hyde are right back in the wrong
You tore my heart out, I didn't even know it's gone
Didn't even know it was gone

One more DOA, one more [?]
Me, thought I could tiptoe by us
Slip on the bloody street
If I'd have known, it was my own
What a freak
It was mine, my own blood on the street

You cut my heart out
You made me bleed
I can't get it on
Get back on my knees for you
Not with blood on the sheets
Not for you
Not with blood on the sheets
Not for you
Not with blood on the sheets
Notes
(1) in the book, Georg R. R. Martin gives these lines as "Baby, you cut my heart out; Baby, you made me bleed"



Further Information
For more information on recordings see Matt Schofield's Grateful Dead Family Discography

 


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