Like a bird on the wire, like a drunk in a
midnight choir I have tried in my way to be free. Like a
worm on a hook, like a knight from some old fashioned book
I have saved all my ribbons for thee. If I, if I have been
unkind, I hope that you can just let it go by. If I, if I
have been untrue I hope you know it was never to you.
Like a baby, stillborn, like a beast with his horn I
have torn everyone who reached out for me. But I swear by this
song and by all that I have done wrong I will make it all
up to thee. I saw a beggar leaning on his wooden crutch,
he said to me, "You must not ask for so much." And a
pretty woman leaning in her darkened door, she cried to me,
"Hey, why not ask for more?"
Oh like a bird on the wire, like a drunk in a midnight
choir I have tried in my way to be free.
The door it opened slowly, my father he came in,
I was nine years old. And he stood so tall above me,
his blue eyes they were shining and his voice was very
cold. He said, "I've had a vision and you know I'm strong
and holy, I must do what I've been told." So he started up
the mountain, I was running, he was walking, and his axe
was made of gold.
Well, the trees they got much smaller, the lake a lady's
mirror, we stopped to drink some wine. Then he threw the
bottle over. Broke a minute later and he put his hand on
mine. Thought I saw an eagle but it might have been a
vulture, I never could decide. Then my father built an
altar, he looked once behind his shoulder, he knew I would
not hide.
You who build these altars now to sacrifice these children,
you must not do it anymore. A scheme is not a vision
and you never have been tempted by a demon or a god.
You who stand above them now, your hatchets blunt and
bloody, you were not there before, when I lay upon a
mountain and my father's hand was trembling with the
beauty of the word.
And if you call me brother now, forgive me if I inquire,
"Just according to whose plan?" When it all comes down to
dust I will kill you if I must, I will help you if I can.
When it all comes down to dust I will help you if I must,
I will kill you if I can. And mercy on our uniform,
man of peace or man of war, the peacock spreads his fan.
A bunch of lonesome and very quarrelsome heroes
were smoking out along the open road; the night was very
dark and thick between them, each man beneath his ordinary
load. "I'd like to tell my story," said one of them so
young and bold, "I'd like to tell my story, before I turn
into gold."
But no one really could hear him, the night so dark and
thick and green; well I guess that these heroes must always
live there where you and I have only been. Put out your
cigarette, my love, you've been alone too long; and some
of us are very hungry now to hear what it is you've done that
was so wrong.
I sing this for the crickets, I sing this for the army,
I sing this for your children and for all who do not need
me. "I'd like to tell my story," said one of them so bold,
"Oh yes, I'd like to tell my story 'cause you know I feel
I'm turning into gold."
When they poured across the border I was cautioned
to surrender, this I could not do; I took my gun and
vanished.
I have changed my name so often, I've lost my wife and
children but I have many friends, and some of them are
with me.
An old woman gave us shelter, kept us hidden in the garret,
then the soldiers came; she died without a whisper.
There were three of us this morning I'm the only one this
evening but I must go on; the frontiers are my prison.
Oh, the wind, the wind is blowing, through the graves the
wind is blowing, freedom soon will come; then we'll come
from the shadows.
Les Allemands étaient chez moi, [The
Germans were at my home] ils me dirent, resigne-toi, [they told
me to surrender] mais je n'ai pas pu; [but I could not
do] j'ai repris mon arme. [I have retaken my weapon.]
J'ai changé cent fois de nom, [I have changed names a
hundred times] j'ai perdu femme et enfants [I have lost wife
and children] mais j'ai tant d'amis; [but I have so many
friends]
j'ai la France entière. [I have entire France]
Un vieil homme dans un grenier [An old man in an
attic] pour la nuit nous a caché, [kept us hidden for the
night] les Allemands l'ont pris; [the Germans took him] il
est mort sans supplice. [he died without agony.]
Oh, the wind, the wind is blowing, through the graves the
wind is blowing, freedom soon will come; then we'll come
from the shadows.
Note: The lines in
French rectified by Stephane Ehling (French lyrics printed in
the CD booklet are incorrect).
It seems so long ago, Nancy was alone, looking
at the Late Late show through a semi-precious stone. In
the House of Honesty her father was on trial, in the House
of Mystery there was no one at all, there was no one at
all.
It seems so long ago, none of us were strong; Nancy
wore green stockings and she slept with everyone. She
never said she'd wait for us although she was alone, I
think she fell in love for us in nineteen sixty one, in
nineteen sixty one.
It seems so long ago, Nancy was alone, a forty five
beside her head, an open telephone. We told her she was
beautiful, we told her she was free but none of us would
meet her in the House of Mystery, the House of Mystery.
And now you look around you, see her everywhere, many
use her body, many comb her hair. In the hollow of the
night when you are cold and numb you hear her talking
freely then, she's happy that you've come, she's happy
that you've come.
I finally broke into the prison, I found my place
in the chain. Even damnation is poisoned with rainbows,
all the brave young men they're waiting now to see a
signal which some killer will be lighting for pay.
Into this furnace I ask you now to venture, you whom I
cannot betray.
I fought in the old revolution on the side of the ghost and
the King. Of course I was very young and I thought that we
were winning; I can't pretend I still feel very much like
singing as they carry the bodies away.
Into this furnace I ask you now to venture...
Lately you've started to stutter as though you had nothing
to say. To all of my architects let me be traitor. Now let
me say I myself gave the order to sleep and to search and to
destroy.
Into this furnace I ask you now to venture...
Yes, you who are broken by power, you who are absent all
day, you who are kings for the sake of your children's story,
the hand of your beggar is burdened down with money, the
hand of your lover is clay.
Into this furnace I ask you now to venture...
I came upon a butcher, he was slaughtering a lamb,
I accused him there with his tortured lamb. He said,
"Listen to me, child, I am what I am and you, you are my
only son."
Well, I found a silver needle, I put it into my arm. It
did some good, did some harm. But the nights were cold
and it almost kept me warm, how come the night is long?
I saw some flowers growing up where that lamb fell down;
was I supposed to praise my Lord, make some kind of joyful
sound? He said, "Listen, listen to me now, I go round and
round and you, you are my only child."
Do not leave me now, do not leave me now, I'm broken
down from a recent fall. Blood upon my body and ice
upon my soul, lead on, my son, it is your world.
I cannot follow you, my love, you cannot follow
me. I am the distance you put between all of the moments
that we will be.
You know who I am, you've stared at the sun, well I am
the one who loves changing from nothing to one.
Sometimes I need you naked, sometimes I need you wild,
I need you to carry my children in and I need you to kill
a child.
You know who I am...
If you should ever track me down I will surrender there
and I will leave with you one broken man whom I will teach
you to repair.
You know who I am...
I cannot follow you, my love, you cannot follow me. I
am the distance you put between all of the moments that we
will be.
You know who I am...
I came by myself to a very crowded place; I was
looking for someone who had lines in her face. I found her
there but she was past all concern; I asked her to hold me, I
said, "Lady, unfold me," but she scorned me and she told me
I was dead and I could never return.
Well, I argued all night like so many have before, saying,
"Whatever you give me, I seem to need so much more." Then she
pointed at me where I kneeled on her floor, she said, "Don't
try to use me or slyly refuse me, just win me or lose me,
it is this that the darkness is for."
I cried, "Oh, Lady Midnight, I fear that you grow old, the
stars eat your body and the wind makes you cold." "If we cry
now," she said, "it will just be ignored." So I walked through
the morning, sweet early morning, I could hear my lady
calling, "You've won me, you've won me, my lord, you've
won me, you've won me, my lord, yes, you've won me, you've won
me, my lord, ah, you've won me, you've won me, my lord,
ah, you've won me, you've won me, my lord."
Sometimes I find I get to thinking of the past. We
swore to each other then that our love would surely last. You
kept right on loving, I went on a fast, now I am too thin and
your love is too vast.
But I know from your eyes and I know from your smile
that tonight will be fine, will be fine, will be fine,
will be fine for a while.
I choose the rooms that I live in with care, the windows
are small and the walls almost bare, there's only one bed and
there's only one prayer; I listen all night for your step on
the stair.
But I know from your eyes and I know from your smile
that tonight will be fine, will be fine, will be fine,
will be fine for a while.
Oh sometimes I see her undressing for me, she's the soft
naked lady love meant her to be and she's moving her body so
brave and so free. If I've got to remember that's a fine
memory.
And I know from her eyes and I know from her smile that
tonight will be fine, will be fine, will be fine, will be fine
for a while.
Below: Marianne & The Room of Leonard's house in
Hydra (from back cover of the album)
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