Script For A Jester's Tear

Marillion

So here I am once more
In the playground of the broken hearts
One more experience, one more entry
In a diary, self penned
Yet another emotional suicide
Overdosed on sentiments and pride

Too late to say I love you
Too late to restage the play
Abandoning the relics
In my playground of yesterday

I'm losing on the swings
I'm losing on the roundabouts
I'm losing on the swings
I'm losing on the roundabouts
Too much, too soon, too far to go
Too late to play the game is over
The game is over

So here I am once more
In the playground of the broken hearts
I'm losing on the swings
I'm losing on the roundabouts
The game is over, over, over
Over, over, over, over, over

Yet another emotional suicide
Overdosed on sentiments and pride
I'm losing on the swings
I'm losing on the roundabouts
The game is over

Too late to say, "I love you"
Too late to restage the play
The game is over

I act the role in classic style
Of a martyr carved with twisted smile
To bleed the lyric for this song
To write the rights to right my wrongs
An epitaph to a broken dream
To exercise this silent scream
A scream that's born from sorrow

I never did write that love song
The words just never seemed to flow
Now sad in reflection did I gaze through perfection
And examine the shadows
On the other side of the morning
And examine the shadows
On the other side of morning
Promised wedding now awake
Promised wedding now awake
Awake, awake, awake, awake

The fool escaped from paradise
Will look over his shoulder and cry
Sit and chew on daffodils and struggle to answer why?
As you grow up and leave the playground
Where you kissed your prince and found your frog
Remember the jester that showed you tears
The script for tears

So I'll hold my peace forever
When you wear your bridal gown
In the silence of my shame the mute
That sang the sirens' song
Has gone solo in the game
I've gone solo in the game
But the game is over

Can you still say you love me?
Can you still say you love me?
Can you still say that you love me?
Do you love me, do you love me?
Do you love me, do you love me?
Do you love me just as you did

Can you still say you love me?
Can you still say you love me?
Can you still say that you love me?
Just as is, just as is

Do you love me, do you love me?
Do you love me?


Lyrics submitted by Idan, edited by Voided

Script for a Jester's Tear [1997 Remaster] Lyrics as written by Mark Kelly Derek William Dick

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Script For A Jester's Tear song meanings
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9 Comments

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  • +4
    General Comment
    "the mute that sang the sirens' song" that just breaks my heart. I have loved this song for so long . Its a song that's wriiten by a scotsman. Scots guys are seldom are in touch with their feelings unless drunk. But this has a celtic mans remorse, the poetic romantic Rabby burns side of the scotsman that can't find the words to say as he feels until its too late "So I'll hold our peace forever when you wear your bridal gown" and before Im slated by scotsman claiming im harsh on them and what do i know........ i'm a scotswoman.
    tineon August 16, 2008   Link
  • +2
    General Comment
    pure lyrical genius that's sung with lots of emotion
    TheOtherVictimon April 03, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    fantastic song especially after the line "Promised wedding now awake". Just pure awesomeness
    Phoenix935on August 19, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    One of the greatest songs ever. Quite self-explaining. Perhaps a man who never had the courage to admit his love so he lost her to another.
    infinityontrialon March 24, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    great song but remember too put a space inbetween promised wedding now a wake not awake is in sleeping but the rite funeral/wake
    radioheadsteron June 23, 2021   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    one of my favorie marrillion songs. I have read that this song refers to fish's relationship with his much loved girlfriend kay though it was written much before kayleigh but then I don't know how long they were together..... It's clearly about lost love and regret, very sad but fantasic song
    2stepson December 04, 2004   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation
    A lot of fish lyrics are to do with lost love I find ....and another sad story behind the ex girlfriend of fish is I read on marillion web page that Kay that inspired these songs has since died of cancer I heard :(
    mark son May 02, 2017   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    It\'s "promised wedding now a wake" not "awake" - as in a wake that proceeds a funeral. Awake doesn\'t even make sense in the context of the lyrics but "a wake" does.
    Voidedon February 12, 2022   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    It\'s "promised wedding now a wake" not "awake" - as in a wake that proceeds a funeral. Awake doesn\'t even make sense in the context of the lyrics but "a wake" does.
    Voidedon February 12, 2022   Link

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