Fisher's Chant
Words and music by Leslie Fish © 1986

	Chorus (after every verse):
	Come up, come up, oh sweet thresher shark
	One of us today will die
	One will go down the other one's throat
	Beneath the pitiless sky.

The earth is thick with the numbers of men
The poisoned soil grows cold
So out we go to the ancient seas
To fish as we did of old.

	Come up, come up, oh sweet thresher shark
	One of us today will die
	One will go down the other one's throat
	Beneath the pitiless sky.

The gods made man like any other beast
For all that his pride denies;
So he must take his turn at the kill
And all of the rest is lies.

	Come up, come up, oh sweet thresher shark
	One of us today will die
	One will go down the other one's throat
	Beneath the pitiless sky.

And you who raise tame beasts on the land
That you march to the slaughterhouse door
Can point no safe fat finger at us
Who risk a little bit more.

	Come up, come up, oh sweet thresher shark
	One of us today will die
	One will go down the other one's throat
	Beneath the pitiless sky.

And you who buy your meat at the store
Can raise no cry of shame
For as you pay for the food-beast's death
You eat, so you share the blame.

	Come up, come up, oh sweet thresher shark
	One of us today will die
	One will go down the other one's throat
	Beneath the pitiless sky.

And you who feed on nothing but plants
Don't hold your pride so high
For plants are living, and just might feel
And they take so long to die.

	Come up, come up, oh sweet thresher shark
	One of us today will die
	One will go down the other one's throat
	Beneath the pitiless sky.

So come to the battle of the jaws and gaff
At the meeting of sea and air
We'll duel for food while the old gods laugh. . . .
By the gods, this fight is fair!

	Come up, come up, oh sweet thresher shark
	One of us today will die
	One will go down the other one's throat
	Beneath the pitiless sky.



Tagged: fish