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@ALBUM: CHILDREN OF GOD

Michael R. Gira: Vocals, sounds, keyboard, acoustic guitar
Jarboe: Vocals, all female background vocals, sounds, piano, keyboard
Algis Kizys: Bass guitar
Theodore Parsons: Drums/percussion
Norman Westberg: Electric/acoustic guitar

William Barnhardt played piano on blackmail.
Simon Fraser played flute on IN MY GARDEN.
Lindsay Cooper played oboe on BLACKMAIL and TRUST ME.
Audrey Riley played cello on LIKE A DRUG.
This record was recorded February - March 1987 at Sawmills Studios
in Golant, Cornwall, England.
Recording Engineers: Rico Conning and John Cornfield.
This record was mixed at Guerilla Studios, London, England March -
April 1987.
Mixing engineer: Rico Conning
Cover design and concept: M. Gira.
Artwork: Paul White/ME Company.
Photography: Laura Levine.
Thanks to Rob Collins, Annie Day, Roger La Haye, Daniel Miller,
and Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Correspondence:
Swans
c/o 429 Harrow Road
London W10 4RE
Include S.A.S.E.
This record produced by Rico Conning and Michael R. Gira.





@SONG: NEW MIND
(Gira, Westberg, Parsons, Kizys)

In the place
Where no one knows
Where they were before
Or what they're doing where
They are now
I will be there
With my eyes wide open
I will be there
(I will be there)
I will be ready
To receive
The new mind
Now I am a man
Now I am a man
But I'm nothing now
And God is mine
Yeah God is mine
Yeah my sin is me
And God is mine
Now I am ready
Now I am ready
To receive
The new mind
Now people get ready
People get ready
The sex in your soul will damn you to hell
The sex in your soul will damn you to hell
Damn you to hell
Damn you to hell
I will be there
I will be there
When he calls my number I will be there
Let the light come in
Damn you to hell
Let the light come in
Damn you to hell
Now save your soul
Damn you to hell
Now save your soul
Damn you to hell
Save your soul
Save your soul
Save your soul
Save your soul



@SONG: IN MY GARDEN
(Gira, Jarboe, Kizys)

In my garden
Things grow in my garden
Things will grow
Then they die
Then they fall away
Then they're gone
In my garden
In my garden
We'll never grow old
We'll never grow old
In my garden
Where the dew never dries
In my garden
In my garden
These roses
These black orchids are our friends
In my garden
When we breathe
When we breathe this air
We will breathe in these things
We will breathe in these things
In my garden
In my garden
We'll never die
We'll never die
In my garden
In my garden



@SONG: OUR LOVE LIES
(Gira, Westberg, Kizys)

We'll fall down
On broken knees
And we'll cry for you now
We'll cry for your mercy
We believe in love
We believe in love
God save us now
We believe in love
We degrade ourselves
But we dig our own grave
Jesus Christ the Lord
Save us now
We believe in love
We believe in love
God save us now
We believe in love
You said all my life
Would be in vain
If I gave up on anything
I knew to be true
Or a provable lie
So I believe in love
I believe in love
God save us now
I believe in love
And I open the door
And there they lie twisted
And misshapen
They suffer for love
And they're sick to death
Of the dreams they used to have
And they're sick to death
Of their beautiful lie
God save us now
God save us now
God save us
Please
Save us now
We believe in love
We believe in love
God save us now
We believe in love
God save us
Please



@SONG: SEX, GOD, SEX
(Gira, Westberg)

I will pray
I will pray
I will go down low
And I will pray to you
Down as low as I can go
I will go there and I will pray to you
I will beg you
I will beg you lord
I will deny myself
I will deny you lord
Though I've done nothing wrong
Never in my live
No no no no no
I will beg you lord
And I will pray for you to forgive me now
I will go down to the centre of the earth
And I will curl up in flames
And I will beg you lord
Take me in your cruel arms
Take me down home
And will say
"Come into me, lord, come in now
Come on in
Praise the lord!
Praise God!"

Come into my heart, sweet lord
Come into my heart
I am open
I am torn apart
I am naked
And I am impure
I am sexless
I am foul
And I am ignorant
And I am hateful
Forgive me lord
Come in
Come on in
Praise God
Praise the lord
Praise god
Praise the lord
Forgive me lord



@SONG: BLOOD AND HONEY
(Gira, Jarboe)

I found you lying where I drowned you
I found you lying where I lay with you
Where I threw you in the water
Where I drowned you in the river
Where I watched you roll away
Where I watched your body roll away
Roll away
Roll away
From everything we think we know
We'll lie down in the warm green grass
And the sun will shine on our pale shape
Our blood will flow black in the dirt
And a black rose will grow where we laid



@SONG: LIKE A DRUG
(SHA LA LA LA) (Gira, Westberg, Parsons, Kizys)

Out of our head
Out of our mind
Into your hands
Into your eye
Warm in your mouth
Warm in your mind
Warm in your belly
Just like a drug
Sha la la la
Cool on your tongue
Soft in your hands
Down on the floor
Red in your mind
Out of our head
Out of our mind
Into your head
Just like a drug
Sha la la
Sha la la la
Hard in your hands
Hard in your mind
Hard in your belly
Hard in your face
Down on the floor
Hard in your mind
Into your head
Just like a drug
Sha la la la
Sha la la la



@SONG: YOU'RE NOT REAL, GIRL
(Gira)

You never close your eyes
When I am near you
You never say you know me
When I am inside of you
Girl you know it's only a feeling
Girl you know you lie and you steal
When you take my trust in your body
Nothing inside you is real
Nothing inside you is real
Nothing inside you is real
Nothing inside you is real
You are another person
When you are alone
Nothing moves inside you
No one holds you down
Girl you know it's only a feeling
You should never trust what you feel
When you forget your body
Nothing inside you is real
Nothing inside you is real
Nothing inside you is real
Nothing inside you is real
You're not real
You're not real



@SONG: BEAUTIFUL CHILD
(Gira, Westberg, Parsons, Kizys)

These are the things I hold onto
These are the things I use to deceive myself
I line them up in front of me
I judge them carefully
Then I throw them all away
I throw them all away
I am a small man
I am not a dangerous man
I love a child
I love a beautiful child
I love a child
I love a beautiful child
I will hold this child in my arms
And caress his soft head
Listen to him cry
Listen to him cry
I can kill the child
The beautiful child
I will kill the child
The beautiful child
This is my life
This is my choice
This is my damnation
This is my only regret
This is my life
This is my life
This is my sacrifice
This is my life
This is my only regret
That I ever was born
This is my sacrifice
Get out of my head



@SONG: BLACKMAIL
(Gira, Jarboe)

Close your eyes
Close your eyes
Saw the word
I want to hear
Say the word
I want to hear
Come up behind me and hold on
Come up behind me and hold on
Close your eyes
Close your eyes
Close your eyes
And close in around me
Say you'll do anything for me
Say you'll do anything for me
Say you'll do what you don't understand
Close your eyes
Close your eyes
Come all around me and hold on
I'll be your body when your body is broken



@SONG: TRUST ME
(Gira, Westberg, Jarboe)

Because I love you
I give you this
Don't be afraid of this
You can trust me now
Though we will deceive ourselves
You can trust me now
You can trust me now
Don't be afraid of this
It's not unusual
It's not unusual
Because I love you
You can trust me now
You will never know
You will never know
You can not trust me now
Don't be afraid of this
You can trust me now
It's not unusual
You can not trust me now
You will never know
It's not unusual
It's not unusual



@SONG: REAL LOVE
(Gira, Westberg, Kizys)

My man walks on hands and knees
I am his first and only child
He is mine
He is my saint
He brings me roses and incense
And he closes my mind
He closes my mind
With real love
Real love
Real love
Real love
I will kiss the ground
Where he left a taste
of his strength of mind
Take me down
Take me down now
Take me down
Into the cold dead earth
Take me down
Take me down there
In your hands again
Take me down
Take me down
With real love
Real love
Real love
Real love
When I dream that sweet dream
When I forget where I am
I will always remember
Your hand on my shoulder
Pulling me down
Pulling me down
Into the cold dead earth
Take me down
Take me down
Take me down
Take me down there
With real love
Real love
Real love
Real love



@SONG: BLIND LOVE
(Gira, Westberg)

Hold onto my hand
Hold onto my unborn hand
Feel what I'll never be
Need me badly
Need what I have
Need what I am
I am a dead man
Now I am a dead man
I am selfish
I am unborn
I am unborn now
I am unborn
Need my love
Need my fake love
Hold onto my hand
Hold onto my unborn hand
Need what I make you become
Blind love
Blind love
I am a dead man
I am a cold dead man
And I am unkind
I am unkind
Feel my hand
Feel my dead hand
Need my love
Need my blind love
Love blind
Blind love
Feel good
Feel good now
Love
Now



@SONG: CHILDREN OF GOD
(Gira, Jarboe)

We are special
We are perfect
We were born in the sight of god
We were born in the sight of god
Our suffering bodies will suffer no more
Our suffering bodies will suffer no more
We are children
Children of God
We are children
Children of God