1978 The Shape of Evil

Porch light buzzing on a suburban street

The night goes quiet after trick or treats

One dead ring in a house gone still

White face waiting where the hedges spill

Lock the latch and count the stairs

Say a prayer to empty air

Something old has found the way

Wearing night like a human shape

The shape of evil, coming home

Heavy boots on a babysitter road

The shape of evil at the end of the drive

No name, no face, just the dark alive

Run to the light, but the light turns cold

Call for help, but the line won’t hold

The shape of evil, breathing near

Boogeyman violence has found us here

Hedge-row shadow with a butcher’s stare

Blue coveralls in the autumn glare

Friends laugh hard till the laughter thins

Then the house learns how the killing begins

Lock the latch and hold your breath

Every room rehearses death

Something old has learned your street

Its boots keep time with your heartbeat

The shape of evil, coming home

Heavy boots on a babysitter road

The shape of evil at the end of the drive

No name, no face, just the dark alive

Run to the light, but the light turns cold

Call for help, but the line won’t hold

The shape of evil, closer still

Boogeyman violence coming in for the kill

Not a man

Not a ghost

Just the shape

You fear most

It doesn’t run

It doesn’t plead

It only waits

Until you breathe

The shape of evil, coming home

The body drops to the lawn below

The shape of evil at the end of the drive

No name, no face, it never dies

Run to the light, but the light turns cold

Look back down, and the dark takes hold

The shape of evil, breathing near

Boogeyman violence is still out there