valerie

i smell the incense

and i'm filled with hope

got the mother and the holy ghost

i'm lookin' for a miracle

a second chance

yeah i'm gettin' ready

to do my mercy dance

he's in his stall

down by st. joseph's altar

i almost turn around

i nearly falter

but i take my place in line

enter when it's time

and soon the door slides open

father

i should come to my senses

i have a good wife

i plead no defenses

but when i look at her

i see valerie

and when she speaks to me

i hear valerie

ain't no good reason

why a man should wander

from the field he's sewn

but father

sometimes the heart has reasons

which reason does not know

i will not leave my family

it's my kid i have a concern for

but when i hold my wife

it's valerie i burn for

and if i were to go to hell

well

that's just the way it's gonna be

'cause it's gonna take more than three hail marys

before i forget valerie

and so i live with this sadness

the secret no one knows

except you father

just you

father

can you make my feelings go away?

i just wanna go home and hug my baby

tell her everything's gonna be ok

but when i look at her

i see valerie

and when she speaks to me

i hear valerie

and when i kiss her lips

i'm kissing valerie

father forgive me

i miss my valerie

she's like a serpent

crawlin' through the backwoods

of my heart

tryin' to get the better part

i cannot fight her

when i'm with her i'm on fire

send out the devil

extinguish my desire

valerie

valerie

valerie go

'cause i'm all mixed up

my head is turned around

i want it both ways

don't wanna lose a good thing i've found

but i can't run with the fox

and hunt with the hound