Last summer in the village
We awoke to find the fair
Had arrived upon the green
And set their stall up there
You could hear the women talking
You could hear the children laugh
And a group of men from our town
Set out to send them back
They had pistols in their pockets
And they waved their knives about
Women watched from windows
And called good wishes out
And they marched on through the alley
When they arrived upon the green
The blood flowed to the river
And washed the water clean
When they came back in the evening
There was good cheer all around
They held them in their air
And nearly dropped them on the ground
But beneath all their commotion
A silence could I hear
I thought I saw the new world
Begin to disappear
Some men see the devil
And pretend that they don't care
Some men see the devil
And pretend he isn't there
Some men see the devil
And try to settle their accounts
Some men see the devil
And try to drive him out
Now our cups are overflowing
But the river's running dry
Our kids have all stopped growing
And nobody knows why
And the ones we call our neighbors
They keep all their curtains closed
The graves have all been emptied
And the streets are filled with ghosts
Some men see the devil
And pretend that they don't care
Some men see the devil
And pretend he isn't there
If I ever see the devil
I will settle my accounts
Last time I saw the devil
I tried to drive him out