As you lie before me now, like a shadow
On a pea-green sea
Never thought that I could find you so hollow
Laying into me
This cup of wine
All salt and brines make me sleepy
And sorrow sews
A field of tears that will never yield a single penny
But I don’t know
I’ve got nothing to hold onto
Wish for gold so I can buy you a palace
By the riverside
You come in and I would fill your diamond chalice
If you were still alive
But this cup of wine
All salt and brines make me sleepy
And sorrow sews
A field of tears that will never yield a single penny
But I don’t know
I’ve got nothing to hold onto
I’ve got nothing to hold onto
Were you sleepless, tearing at the air?
Was the water everywhere?
Were you fretful to wade into the room?
I’d been wanting to hear from you
Oh no
Hand it over
Hand it over
You’re weary
Lay him down
You did your time, so thank you very much
Hand it over
Hand it over
So now your hopes are all laid
But you hand it all away
Did his eyelids affix on empty chairs?
You had traveled to lay beside
A gentle torture
To watch it all recede
And all the while your mother slept beside him
Oh no
Hand it over
Hand it over
You’re weary
Lay him down
You did your time, so thank you very much
Hand it over
Hand it over
So now your hopes are all laid
But you hand it all away
Were you sleepless, tearing at the air?
Was the water everywhere?
Were you fearful,
And long to run away,
From the cold clasp of Illinois?
Oh no
Oh no
Ohhhhh
Hand it over
Hand it over
You’re weary
Lay him down
You did your time, so thank you very much
Hand it over
Hand it over
So now your hopes are all laid
But you hand it all away
7 comments:
I just heard this song on the radio, and was mesmerized...Memorized some of the lyrics and googled it, and found your blog...Do you know who sings it? It is enchanting...Thanks!
it is by The Decemberists off of a compilation put out by some of the members of The National for world aids day called, "Dark Was The Night."
the entire thing is epic and amazing -- check out more about it here: http://www.4ad.com/news/dark-was-the-ni/
but, yes, that song in particular is hauntingly beautiful. i couldn't find the lyrics myself, so...wrote them out for my eyes to see.
Thanks a lot, Samantha! I had been going crazy googling this. It really is hauntingly beautiful. The resigned, accepting vibe in the lyrics actually got me:
And sorrow sews
A field of tears that will never yield a single penny
But I don’t know
I’ve got nothing to hold onto...
I will definitely be checking out the album. Thanks again for the help.
Sandra
you're so very welcome, sandra.
always willing to aid for the sake of music!
i swear it's the only thing that keeps me going.
i want to play it for everyone who's come and gone, and i never had the chance to let it end for real.
So beautiful - thank you for transposing the lyrics. I couldn't catch a few myself. Much appreciated!
no problem, bryan.
it broke my little heart when i wasn't able to find them -- thus. here they are.
Hi. Thanks for posting these. I used them as a reference point for putting together my own version (interpretation?) of the lyrics to this great song. What I came up with differs in a few small but (I think) important ways. I know the song's been out for a year, but for some reason I've only just begun to really hear it.
Here is my version. Let me know what you think.
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