The Hold Steady
How A Resurrection Really Feels
Her parents named her Halleluiah
The kids they called her Holly
And if she scared you then she's sorry
She's been stranded at these parties
These parties they start lovely
But they get druggy and they get ugly and they get bloody

The priest just kinda laughed
The deacon caught a draft
She crashed into the Easter mass
With her hair done up in broken glass
She was limping left on broken heels
When she said, "Father, can I tell your congregation how a resurrection really feels?"

Holly was a hoodrat
And now you finally know that
And she's been disappeared for years
Today she finally came back

St. Louis had enslaved me
I guess Santa Ana saved me
And St. Peter had me on the queue
The St. Paul Saints they waved me through
And I was all wrapped up in some video booth
When I heard her say "I love you too"
She said I've laid beneath my lovers
But I've never gotten laid
Some nights she felt protected
Some nights she felt afraid
She spent half last winter just trying to get paid
From some guy she'd originally
Thought to be her savior

They wrote her name in magic marks
On stop signs and subway cars
They got a mural up on East 13th that said
"Halleluiah, rest in peace"
Halleluiah was a hoodrat
And now you finally know that
She's been disappeared for years
Today she finally came back

Walk on back, walk on back

She said don't turn me on again
I'll probably just go and get myself all gone again
Don't turn me on again
I'll probably just go and
Go and get myself all gone again
So don't turn me on again
I'll probably just go and go and get myself all gone again
Halleluiah was a sexy mess
And she looked strung out but experienced
Yeah, so we all got kind of curious
Walk on back... [repeated]