John Donne, Anglican rock star:
Batter my heart, three-person’d God, for you
As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;
That I may rise and stand, o’erthrow me, and bend
Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new.
I, like an usurp’d town to another due,
Labor to admit you, but oh, to no end;
Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend,
But is captiv’d, and proves weak or untrue.
Yet dearly I love you, and would be lov’d fain,
But am betroth’d unto your enemy;
Divorce me, untie or break that knot again,
Take me to you, imprison me, for I,
Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,
Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.
Pete Townshend, English rock star:
From memory I am certain that the long shot at the beginning covers an edit of Mr. Townshend’s actual comment: “This one’s called ‘Drowned.’ You’re such an ordinary crowd it’s not really appropriate.”
[Update, January 2014: More obviously:
God fill this gutter that breaks my shoulder
Grind me to dust, wash me to mud
Smash me to pieces, set me to smolder
Let me dissolve in your awesome flood
Lyrics from a recording dated 1979-1980 on YouTube.]
Comment: robb at zoombackbaby. Text: poetryfoundation.org