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Down To You Lyrics
Everything comes and goes
Marked by lovers and styles of clothes
Things that you held high
And told yourself were true
Lost or changing as the days come down to you
Down to you
Constant stranger
You're a kind person
You're a cold person too
It's down to you
It all comes down to you
You go down to the pick up station
Craving warmth and beauty
You settle for less than fascination
A few drinks later you're not so choosy
When the closing lights strip off the shadows
On this strange new flesh you've found
Clutching the night to you like a fig leaf
You hurry to the blackness
And the blankets
To lay down an impression
And your loneliness
In the morning there are lovers in the street
They look so high
You brush against a stranger
And you both apologise
Old friends seem indifferent
You must have bought that on
Old bonds have been broken down
Love is gone
Oh love is gone
Written on your spirit this sad song
Love is gone
Everything comes and goes
Pleasure moves on too early
And trouble leaves too slow
Just when you're thinking
You've finally got it made
Bad news comes knocking
At your garden gate
Knocking for you
Constant stranger
You're a brute- you're an angel
You can crawl- you can fly too
It's down to you
It all comes down to you
Marked by lovers and styles of clothes
Things that you held high
And told yourself were true
Lost or changing as the days come down to you
Down to you
Constant stranger
You're a kind person
You're a cold person too
It's down to you
It all comes down to you
Craving warmth and beauty
You settle for less than fascination
A few drinks later you're not so choosy
When the closing lights strip off the shadows
On this strange new flesh you've found
Clutching the night to you like a fig leaf
You hurry to the blackness
And the blankets
To lay down an impression
And your loneliness
They look so high
You brush against a stranger
And you both apologise
Old friends seem indifferent
You must have bought that on
Old bonds have been broken down
Love is gone
Oh love is gone
Written on your spirit this sad song
Love is gone
Pleasure moves on too early
And trouble leaves too slow
Just when you're thinking
You've finally got it made
Bad news comes knocking
At your garden gate
Knocking for you
Constant stranger
You're a brute- you're an angel
You can crawl- you can fly too
It's down to you
It all comes down to you
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this song and the whole album 'For the rosses" isjust unbeleiveable good. if she had a dick she'd have been ten times more popular than dylan. she just so lovely-ly ahead of her time. this, much under acknowledged, album was like man on the moon when it came out people were like "how the fuck did she come up with that?" im still asking.
Actually, I don't think this was on 'For the Roses'. I have it on 'Court and Spark'. I didn't originally like this song, but it's grown on me and is now one of my favourites. I lke the whole thing - the introspection on life and relationships - the melody and tone, and the 'orchestral' interlude in the middle. Top marks, Joni.
anyone familiar with the perry scheme of intellectual and moral development? this song is a manifestation of that time in life when we have to come to terms with our former beliefs no longer being sufficient or discovering they are just plain wrong. we discover we're a stranger to ourselves, we have to re-define our whole selves, which can be very painful, depressing, confusing, and create a huge sense of loss.
"Things that you held high And told yourself were true Lost or changing as the days come down to you Down to you Constant stranger You're a kind person You're a cold person too" on a side note, the orchestration on this is absolutely sublime, and joni's voice is amazing (as usual).
This is one of my all-time Joni songs. Amazing instrumental on the piano, and great arrangement all round. Joni's voice is sublime on this track too.
This song to me signifies the how much involvement you allow yourself in love and how it's all 'Down to you'. Also, the changes that you encounter in love(Everything comes and goes), and how you sometimes feel like love is lost forever( 'Love is gone').
It all comes down to you...........
Sean Nelson's book on Court and Spark (in the 33 1/3 series) includes a great explication of this song; he regards it as the linchpin of the entire album
The first time I heard this song was in a music appreciation class in the late 80's. For some reason the line "you brush against a stranger and you both apologize" stuck in my head for the next 15 years. One day I was at a flea market and I saw some joni records. I bought the records and was thinking about that line all the way home and how crazy it would be if that song was on one of those records.
It happened to be on the first record I played and when I heard the line, I cried. It gave me that heart wrenching feeling (you know what I'm talking about). For a long time, I couldn't listen to this song without crying. It still gives me that feeling when I hear it today.
OMG - I'm the " One ' that did that - Really - ? - I did That ? - I am a Stranger to myself - and a constant reminder of my own fragility. Maybe I should keep moving