Eva's Warning

Still from a 1986 performance

***Eva's Warning*** is a song written by *Snakefinger* & *The Residents*. It was first released on the album 'Manual Of Errors' in 1982.

## Background

The song originated during the *Mark of The Mole* sessions in 1981, with the title '***Now It Is Too Late***'. After the song was ultimately unused for the album, The Residents offered it to Snakefinger, who began to re-write the song into '***Eva's Warning***'. Snakefinger's version appeared on his 1982 album '*Manual Of Errors*', featuring no performance form The Residents.

The Residents would not record a version of the song until their 1985 *13th Anniversary Show,* which featured Snakefinger on guitar*.* This versionsegues out of '*The Coming Of The Crow*', and was performed from 1985 to 1987. This version features an often improvised outro inspired by The Coming Of The Crow.

The song was revived for the 2005 Way We Were retrospective tour, this time featuring *Molly Harvey* on lead vocals.

## Lyrics

***Snakefinger Version (1982)***

```
Now this is the story
About the crow upon the wall
It’s followed through and front of me
Since I was very small
No matter what I do to it, it will not go away
It tells the easy answers
And it speaks of better days.

```

```
I’ll crush it, I’ll crush it
I even tried to rush it
And when I tried to rush it
It won’t stay down
It cries

```

```
Eva!
Eva!
Eva!
I’m home

```

```
I know you won’t believe me but I’ve heard it call my name
Leading me along a ledge like looking at a flame
In my mind it multiples when I’m gone away
In my mind it multiples day by day

```

```
I’ll bruise it, abuse it
I even tried to lose it
But just when I confuse it
It won’t stay down
It cries

```

```
Eva!
My little Eva!
Eva!
I’m home Eva, I’m home

```

```
I tried to warn them about the coming of the crow
But they only laughed about it, said they’d know
Now they put a sunrise, it brings another day
Once again they must pretend that they will disobey.

```

***Residents Version (1985)***

```
Now this is the story of the crow upon the wall
It’s travelled from in front of me since I was very small
No matter what I do to it, it will not go away
It tells the easy answers and it speaks of better days.

```

```
I’ve brushed it, I’ll rushed it
I even tried to blush it
And when I tried to bus it
It won’t stay down
It cries

```

```
Eva!
Oh, Eva!
Eva!
I’m home

```

```
I know you won’t believe me but I’ve heard it call my name
Luring me along a ledge like looking at a flame
Well, in my mind it multiples when I’m gone away
Yes, in my mind it multiples day by day

```

```
I bruised, I used
I even tried to lose it
But just when I tried to lose it
It won’t stay down
It cries

```

```
Eva!
Oh, Eva!
Eva!
I’m home.

```

```
And I've tried to warn them about the coming of the crow!
But they had only laughed a lot, said that they would know..
Oh, now they fear the sunset, as it ends another day
Cause now they hear the crying crow, that sucks your soul away.

```

***Residents + Molly Harvey Version (2005)***

```
I know you won’t believe me but I heard it call my name
Leading me along a ledge like looking at a flame
In my mind it multiples when I go away
In my mind it multiples day by day

```

```
It cries Eva!
It cries Eva!
It cries Eva!
I'm home

```

```
I tried to warn them of the coming of the crow!
But they only laughed a lot and said that they would know..
Now they fear the sunset, as it ends another day
Now they fear the crying crow, that sucks your soul away!

```

```
It cries Eva!
It cries Eva!
It cries Eva!
I'm home

```

***Now It Is Too Late (1981)***

```
In my mind it multiplies when I am gone away,
In my mind it mutliplies day by day.

```

```
I know you won't believe me but I've heard it call my name.
Luring me along the edge, like looking at a flame.

```

```
I have tried to warn them of the coming of the crow,
but they had only laughed a lot and said that they would know.
And now the smore is in the air, and even in the trees
The evil germs of wickedness have, have scorn their destiny!

```

```
With a smiling face, members of my race,
Said that they would share, what we could not spare
Now it is too late, they forgot to mate.
Now it is too late, they forgot to mate.
Now it is too late, they forgot to mate.
Now it is too late, they forgot to mate.
Now it is too late, they forgot to mate.
Now it is too late, they forgot to mate.
Now it is too late, they forgot to mate.
Now it is too late, they forgot to mate.
Now it is too late.

```

## Releases

* The Eyeball Show (Live In Japan) (1986)
* Live In The USA! 13th Anniversary Tour (1986)
* Stranger Than Supper (1990)
* The Way We Were (2005)
* 13th Anniversary Show - Ritz NY - Jan 16, 1986 (2010)
* The 13th Anniversary Show - Cleveland (2014)
* Loss Of The Lizard Lady (2019)

#### Versions

1. ↑ 1985 Live Version (2:33)
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 1986 Live USA Version (5:02) Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; name ":0" defined multiple times with different content
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 2005 Live Version (2:35)
4. ↑ 1986 Ritz Live Version (4:04)
5. ↑ 1986 Cleveland Live Version (5:29)