The Asking Tree: A Robyn Hitchcock Catalog

If You Were a Priest Releases Gigs Lyrics

Details

Author: Robyn Hitchcock

According to our records, Robyn has played this song 143 times, most recently at Robyn & Emma's house on March 26, 2025. He first performed it at Paradise Centre on June 02, 1986, 38 years and 9 months earlier.

Releases

Title	Artist	Label	Type	Year
Gotta Let This Hen Out!	Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians	Midnight Music	Album	1985
Element of Light	Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians	Glass Fish Records	Album	1986
If You Were A Priest	Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians	Glass Fish Records	Single	1986
The Hooded One	Robyn Hitchcock	Feg You Records	Bootleg	1988
Catalog Sampler	Robyn Hitchcock (& the Egyptians)	Rhino Records	Promo	1994
The Kershaw Sessions	Robyn Hitchcock and The Egyptians	Strange Roots	Album	1994
Robyn Hitchcock Sampler	Robyn Hitchcock	Rhino Records	Promo	1995
Sounds of the Eighties 1986-1987	Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians	Sony Music	Compilation	1995
Uncorrected Personality Traits	Robyn Hitchcock	Rhino Records	Album	1997
Luminous Groove Box Set sampler	Robyn Hitchcock and The Egyptians	Yep Roc	Promo	2008

Showing 1 to 10 of 13 entries

Gigs

Venue	Billed As	City	State	Country	Date
Paradise Centre	Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians	Reading	England	UK	06/02/1986
Norwich Arts Centre	Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians	Norwich	England	UK	06/06/1986
BBC Radio 1 - In Concert	Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians	London	England	UK	06/10/1986
Town and Country Club	Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians	London	England	UK	06/10/1986
Glastonbury Festival	Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians	Pilton	England	UK	06/21/1986
CND Festival	Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians	Pilton	England	UK	06/22/1986
[unknown venue] (Brighton, England UK)	Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians	Brighton	England	UK	10/03/1986
Tower Records	Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians	New York	New York	US	10/30/1986
BBC	Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians	London	England	UK	11/01/1986
The Ritz	Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians	New York	New York	US	11/01/1986

Showing 1 to 10 of 143 entries

Lyrics

If you were a priest
I would wait at least
Up unto confession time and
Crawl into your box
Breathing like a fox
Hunting for obsession time and
I've thrown a lot of time away to be with you
So please don't lock away your eyes

If you were a nun
I would surely run
Way down to the hospital and
Cover all your charts
With decorated hearts
A palpitating ritual and
I've spent a lot of time on this to be like you 
So please don't lock away your eyes

If you were a ghost
I would treasure most
Time I never spent with you and
Wander through your head
The words I never said
Till I knew what I meant to you and
I've spent a lot of time on this to be with you
So please don't lock away your eyes
So please don't lock away your eyes (away your eyes)
So please don't lock away your eyes (away your eyes)
So please don't lock away your eyes
So please don't lock away your eyes (away your eyes)
So please don't lock away your eyes
So please don't lock away your eyes (away your eyes)
So please don't lock away your eyes
So please don't lock away your eyes
So please don't lock away your eyes (away your eyes)
So please don't lock away your eyes
So please don't lock away your eyes
So please don't lock away your eyes (away your eyes)
So please don't lock away your eyes
So please don't lock away your eyes
So please don't lock away your eyes (away your eyes)
So please don't lock away your eyes

<Alternates>
Padding like a fox                          5a
So please don't mock my other side          8a

Down to where your cloisters are           11a
And I would intertwine                     12a
Around you like a vine                     13a
My grapes are where your oysters are and   14a

Wander through the world                   20a
Like a transparent earl                    21a
Till I knew what I meant to you and        22a

So please don't mock my other side         24a

Tattered grim and dead                     21b