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If You There Lyrics
Your beauty pulses like a distant star
Once you were so near to me
And now you've gone so far
Wretched and as fixed to earth as any stone
Lying now don't move nor speak no statue here alone
Living here just with a memory
A simple recollection that's so dear to me
You said it's logical that we should part
What's pleasing to my intellect
Must surely break my heart
Man will always want what he can't have
It's more than he can do just to be brave
He seeks perfection in a thousand ways
Just throw another shovel on his grave
Born to live
Born to die
Born to wonder
Why, why, why, why
If you there
Would you leave me wondering?
If you there
Am I one man only?
If you there
Don't leave me wondering
If you there
You say that all we have is what we see
Baby all you understand is a little part of me
You said that I could never be the one
Promises evaporate in the angle of the sun
If the only certain thing is death
Walk a little nearer to it now with every breath
And if this time must wear a velvet glove
Then kindness and lies are the true friends of love
Man will always want what he can't have
It's more than he can do just to be brave
He seeks perfection in a thousand ways
Throw another shovel on his grave
Born to live
Born to die
Born to wonder
Why, why, why, why
If you there
Would you leave me wondering?
If you there
Am I one man only?
If you there
Don't leave me wondering
If you there
Once you were so near to me
And now you've gone so far
Wretched and as fixed to earth as any stone
Lying now don't move nor speak no statue here alone
A simple recollection that's so dear to me
You said it's logical that we should part
What's pleasing to my intellect
Must surely break my heart
Man will always want what he can't have
It's more than he can do just to be brave
He seeks perfection in a thousand ways
Just throw another shovel on his grave
Born to die
Born to wonder
Why, why, why, why
Would you leave me wondering?
If you there
Am I one man only?
If you there
Don't leave me wondering
If you there
Baby all you understand is a little part of me
You said that I could never be the one
Promises evaporate in the angle of the sun
If the only certain thing is death
Walk a little nearer to it now with every breath
And if this time must wear a velvet glove
Then kindness and lies are the true friends of love
It's more than he can do just to be brave
He seeks perfection in a thousand ways
Throw another shovel on his grave
Born to die
Born to wonder
Why, why, why, why
Would you leave me wondering?
If you there
Am I one man only?
If you there
Don't leave me wondering
If you there
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from 1988--but I'm not sure on what album
Our skilled raconteur spins the tale of –I could choose many things—I’ll grab Galatea. In the story from Roman mythology, she is often named as the statue of Pygmalion that was brought to life by Venus. Pygmalion was the king of an island called Cyprus. He was not only a wise ruler, but a gifted sculptor. He once sculpted a maiden. He eventually fell in love with the statue. Praying to Venus that the ivory of the statue would turn to flesh, Pygmalion's wish was granted. In this story, Galatea is missing—Venus took her back? And the man in the tale wonders if she will just leave him wondering about her. She apparently wasn’t around long enough to discover more about him and decided he couldn’t be the one she’s looking for. If she doesn’t return, he hopes she’ll die soon—certain he would see her then. “If this time must wear a velvet glove” is hard to interpret—that’s what makes lyrics so intriguing—but surely lies are not the true friend of love. Mixing “kindness” with “lies” is perplexing.
He wonders if she’s there. I love how this is expressed. Makes me think of “We jazz June” from Gwendolyn Brooks’s “We Real Cool”.
The man of the tale feels bad because the lady says “he could never be the one.” It’s a Venus game—predicting the outcome is difficult.
Gwendolyn Brooks with Michael McClure
We real cool We at school We lurk late We strike straight We sing sin WE ask for the rainbow AND the hearts of elfland! Keep your fucking war! We jazz June We come soon
In pain she left me melody and speech Am I indeed as wretched as I seem? Has everything been lost? If you were joking—the time, love, For joking, is passed
I think of you when the sun’s glorious shimmer Shines from the sea I think of you when the moon’s pallid glimmer Edges the tree
A short span of time I’m free and above And drunken I lie—in the lap of love It storms—you are my guest Lightning writhes wildly And thunder rolls I shall see you to your horse ….
The storm is howling She’s silent I become wild Show me to my bedroom! I am tired as a dog Here—on slippery rock traces I dance—into your embraces
All the children’s sprites are dancing Softly on the silver rock Only when incense clouds them And bewitches their stony lips Their light appears to stir
But one cannot prove a thing …