Notes for Samira

I love to speak with Leonard
He's a sportsman and a shepherd
He's a lazy bastard living in a suit

But he does say what I tell him
Even though it isn't welcome
He just doesn't have the freedom to refuse

He will speak these words of wisdom
Like a sage, a man of vision
Though he knows he's really nothing but the brief elaboration of a tube

Going home without my sorrow
Going home sometime tomorrow
Going home to where it's better than before

Going home without my burden
Going home behind the curtain
Going home without the costume that I wore

He wants to write a love song
An anthem of forgiving
A manual for living with defeat

A cry above the suffering
A sacrifice recovering
But that isn't what I need him to complete

I want him to be certain
That he doesn't have a burden
That he doesn't need a vision
That he only has permission to do my instant bidding which is to say what I have told him to repeat

Going home without my sorrow
Going home sometime tomorrow
Going home to where it's better than before

Going home without my burden
Going home behind the curtain
Going home without the costume that I wore

I'm going home without my sorrow
Going home sometime tomorrow
Going home to where it's better than before

Going home without my burden
Going home behind the curtain
Going home without this costume that I wore

I love to speak with Leonard
He's a sportsman and a shepherd
He's a lazy bastard living in a suit

Suzanne takes you down
To her place near the river
You can hear the boats go by
You can spend the night beside her
And you know that she's half crazy
But that's why you want to be there
And she feeds you tea and oranges
That come all the way from China
And just when you mean to tell her
That you have no love to give her
Then she gets you on her wavelength
And she lets the river answer
That you've always been her lover

And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know that she will trust you
For you've touched her perfect body with your mind.

And Jesus was a sailor
When he walked upon the water
And he spent a long time watching
From his lonely wooden tower
And when he knew for certain
Only drowning men could see him
He said: "All men will be sailors then
Until the sea shall free them"
But he himself was broken
Long before the sky would open
Forsaken, almost human
He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone

And you want to travel with him
And you want to travel blind
And you think maybe you'll trust him
For he's touched your perfect body with his mind.

Now Suzanne takes your hand
And she leads you to the river
She is wearing rags and feathers
From Salvation Army counters
And the sun pours down like honey
On our lady of the harbour
And she shows you where to look
Among the garbage and the flowers
There are heroes in the seaweed
There are children in the morning
They are leaning out for love
And they will lean that way forever
While Suzanne holds the mirror

And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know that you can trust her
For she's touched your perfect body with her mind.

And who by fire
Who by water
Who in the sunshine
Who in the night time
Who by high ordeal
Who by common trial
Who in your merry merry month of may
Who by very slow decay
And who shall I say is calling?

And who in her lonely slip
Who by barbiturate
Who in these realms of love
Who by something blunt
And who by avalanche
Who by powder
Who for his greed
Who for his hunger
And who shall I say is calling?

And who by brave assent
Who by accident
Who in solitude
Who in this mirror
Who by his lady's command
Who by his own hand
Who in mortal chains
Who in power

And who shall I say is calling?

The birds they sang
At the break of day
Start again
I heard them say
Don't dwell on what
Has passed away
Or what is yet to be

Ah the wars they will
Be fought again
The holy dove
She will be caught again
Bought and sold
And bought again
The dove is never free

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in

We asked for signs
The signs were sent:
The birth betrayed
The marriage spent
Yeah the widowhood
Of every government
Signs for all to see

I can't run no more
With that lawless crowd
While the killers in high places
Say their prayers out loud
But they've summoned up, they've summoned up
A thundercloud
And they're going to hear from me

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in

You can add up the parts
But you won't have the sum
You can strike up the march
There is no drum
Every heart, every heart
To love will come
But like a refugee

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in
That's how the light gets in
That's how the light gets in