Well, I never actually had an ex-girlfriend turn federal witness against me. Could still happen, I suppose… I got plenty of ex-‘s.

But I always thought it was a great metaphor for a love-gone-wrong song.

As I wrote on January 6 when I posted a different version of this song from the late 70s, the song was partially inspired by stories of Bill and Emily Harris and celebrity kidnap-victim-turned-urban-terrorist Patty Hearst.

machine dog version

GOVERNMENT WITNESS

Someone’s been bleeding us
a young man wake up each day old and tired
I got my gun and my silver bullets
gonna get me a government vampire

Hanging on the chain link fence
got my silver cross my Smith & Wesson .38
But when they turn on the juice
I’m crucified on the electric gate

If this is real life
I guess I’ll get used to it
I’ll be all right as
soon as I get over these electro-convulsive fits

Shackled in my place
inside rthe federal courtroom dock
Staring at your face
floating in the witness box

You’re looking right through me
just like you never heard my name
but you used to lay right next to me
in our little hideout by the lake

If this is real life
I suggest you get used to it
You’ll be all right
as soon as you find a heart to fit that hole in your chest

Governmewnt witness
who would have dreamed you’d be a government witness
Government witness
go ahead — deny you are a government witness

You must have lied to me then
Why can’t you lie to them now
Will you be lying to yourself
while I sweat it out in the death house — death house

This is real life . . .

Copyright 1980
TK Major