Say Goodbye to the Little Girl Tree (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds)

O say goodbye to the little girl tree O you know that I must say goodbye To the little girl tree This wall I built around you Is made out of stone-lies O little girl the truth would be An axe in thee O father look to your daughter Brick of grief and stricken morter With this ring This silver hoop of wire I bind your maiden mainstem Just to keep you as a child O say goodbye to the little girl tree O you know that I must say goodbye To my little girl tree How fast your candy bones Reached out for me I must say goodbye to your brittle bones Crying out for me O you know that I must say goodbye O goodbye Even though you will betray me The very minute that I leave O say goodbye to the little girl tree O Lord you know that I must say goodbye To that little girl tree I rise up her girl-child lumps and slipping knots Into her laden boughs And amongst her roping limbs Like a swollen neck vein branching Into smaller lesser veins That must all just sing and say goodbye And let her blossom veils fly Her velvet gown Down down down Down down down Down down down and goodbye For you know that I must say goodbye To a rhythm softly tortured Of a motion back and forth Thats a rhythm sweetly tortured O that's the rhythm of the orchard And you know that I must say goodbye To that little girl tree O goodbye Yes goodbye For you know that I must die Down down down Down down down Down down down and goodbye For you know that I must die Yes you know that I must die O-o you know that I must die