by Townes Van Zandt
Why does she sing
her sad songs for me,
I'm not the one
to tenderly bring
her soft sympathy
I've just begun
to see my way clear
and it's plain,
if I stop I will fall
I can lay down a tear
for her pain,
just a tear and that's all.
What does she want me to do?
she says that she knows
that moments are rare
I suppose that it's true
then on she goes
to say I don't care,
and she knows
that I do
Maybe she just has to sing, for the sake of the song
and who do I think that I am to decide that she's wrong.
She'd like to think that I'm cruel,
but she knows that's a lie
for I would be
no more than a tool
if I allowed her to cry
all over me.
Oh my sorrow is real
even though
I can't change my plan
If she could see how I feel
then I know
that she'd understand
Oh does she actually think I'm to blame?
Does she really believe
that some word of mine
can relieve
all her pain?
Can't she see that she grieves
just because she's been blindly deceived
by her shame?
Nothin's what it seems,
maybe she'll start someday
to realize
If she abandons her dreams,
then all the words she can say
are only lies
when will she see
that to gain
is only to lose?
All that she offers me
are her chains,
I got to refuse
Oh but it's only to herself that she's lied
she likes to pretend
it's something that she must defend,
with her pride
and I don't intend
to stand her and be the friend
from whom she must hideIt's a hard life
Never let yourself get down
You may never get back
You may never ever turn it round
You may say it took you by surprise
Never ending
Never changing
I didn't see through your disguise
(It took my breath away)
Under my feetThe earth shook
The earth just fell away
Under my feet gave way
Did you never ever want to take a chance
Never thought the time would come round
Quite so fast
Would you walk right through that wall
And keep on walking till you
Couldn't stand on your feet no more
But you came and took me by surprise
When you stole up on me
I didn't see through your disguise
It took my breath away
Under my feetThe earth shook
Under my feetThe earth just fell away
Under my feet gave way
Where were you
When I needed youWhere were you
When I needed youWhere were you
Where were you - I'm holding on
Under my feetThe earth shook
Under my feetThe earth just fell away
Right under my feet gave way
Under my feet
Under my feet
The earth shook
Right under my feet - the earth gave way