The Climber's Gory Gory

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``Will it go around the chock-stone?'' called the belayer looking up
Our hero feebly answered yes and started inching up
He was trying to drive a piton when his foothold crumbled out
And he ain't gonna climb no more

Gory, gory what a hell'uva way to die
Gory, gory what a hell'uva way to die
Gory, Gory what a hell'uva way to die.
and they ain't gonna climb no more.

The leader sped on down the wall and quickly gathered speed
He shot right past the belayer who'd forgotten the climber's creed
An anchor to a piton would've been all he'd ever need
But they ain't gonna climb no more (Chorus)

The belayer felt the rope pull taught, he tried to let it run
But it jerked from position and knew his time had come
He left the ledge behind him and it shot up towards the sun
And they ain't gonna climb no more (Chorus)

One had the rope around his neck, the pitons through his spleen
An ice ax in the rucksack had split the other's bean
The trails of red marked their descent as they neared the slopes of green
And they ain't gonna climb no more (Chorus)

They slid on over a friction pitch and passed the southern col
They had such good exposure it made a glorious fall
They bounced between the roofs and then sped on down the wall
And they ain't gonna climb no more (Chorus)

The days they lived and loved and laughed kept flashing through their minds
They thought about the girls back home, the ones they'd left behind
They thought about the ranger too, and wondered what he'd find
Cause they ain't gonna climb no more (Chorus)

A medic in the valley watched them through his telescope
And as they neared the bottom his eyes grew bright with hope
For it had been a week or more since the parting of the rope
And they ain't gonna climb no more (Chorus)

They hit the ground, the sound was "SPLAT!!", the blood went shooting high
Their comrades were heard to say, "What a colorful way to die."
And as they lay there rolling in the welter of their gore:
They ain't gonna jump no more! (Chorus)

There was blood upon the rucksacks, there was brains upon the rope
Intestines were entwined across the green and grassy slope
We scoped them in tin cans after salvaging the rope
Since they ain't gonna climb no more.... (Chorus)

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Written down from memory and provided by Dave Maltz, but originally from an old song book, probably a 60's IOCA book. (not used with permission)