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Prayer of the backhanded Lyrics by Jericho Brown

Please (New Issues, 2008)

1

Not the palm not the pear tree
Switch, not the broomstick,
Nor the closet extension
Cord, not his braided belt, but God,
Bless the back of my daddy's hand
Which, holding nothing tightly
Against me and not wrapped
In leather, eliminated the air
Between itself and my cheek.
Make full this dimpled cheek
Unworthy of its unfisted print
And forgive my forgetting
The love of a hand
Hungry for reflex, a hand that took
No thought of its target
Like hail from a blind sky,
Involuntary, fast but brutal
In its bruising. Father, I bear the bridge
Of what might have happen
A broken nose. I lift to you
What was a busted lip. Bless
The boy who believes
His best beatings lack
Intention, the mark of the beast.
bring back to life the son
Who glorifies in the sin
Of immediacy, calling it love.
God, save the man whose arm
Like an angel's invisible wing
May fly backward in fury
Whether or not his son stands near.
help me hold in place my blazing jaw
As I think to say, excuse me.
Credits
Jericho Brown

Jericho Brown

About “Prayer of the backhanded” by Jericho Brown

Read the complete lyrics to "Prayer of the backhanded" by Jericho Brown from the album "Please (New Issues, 2008)" in 1. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music, Literature.

"Prayer of the backhanded" is performed by Jericho Brown. from the album "Please (New Issues, 2008)" in 1 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Prayer of the backhanded", explore more songs by Jericho Brown using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Prayer of the backhanded" is credited to Jericho Brown. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Prayer of the backhanded" appears on "Please (New Issues, 2008)" in 1.

Visit the Jericho Brown artist page at /artist/jericho-brown for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.