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Tonight In Bilbao Lyrics
I walked the old eroded streets
A million miles now have gone behind me
Walked in the room, soaked up its fumes
Surveyed the faces I am lying to
Gave what I had, I gave my heart
Though I was broken and falling apart
Gave for the memory of a friend
Not for myself and not for them
When I was done I met someone
She came in from the storm so bright and welcome
Her friends came and swept her away
Disappeared like coyotes off on dark high plains
I looked across the river so still
Trying to remember
Where it was last night I laid my head to sleep
Where the empty night hung heavily over
I left Bilbao, went to Madrid
To Barcelona, to Pamplona
Where every ghost unto me known
Haunted me
I flew in over the red clay roofs
And floated through the clouds as they swelled and shook
The bronze-tinted land and sea
And houses rolled in hills like yellowing teeth
When we touched down, opened my eyes to the sun
The dizzying air filled my lungs
And just as soon she'd woken me
My eyes blurry, my mind heavy
I left Milan, I went to Rome
And carried her aroma on to Verona
And all the kindness she had shown
Was only a dream
The flurries danced on cold gray tombs
The frozen lots where ignored souls loomed
As last rays of daylight died
I'm blowing into my hands and clearing my eyes
And as the train pulled away from Cologne
The noise dimmed, once so loudly it had grown
And as the engines burned through the night
I stared off at far away lights
I left Berlin and I came home
To sleepy potions of blue oceans
Where my love so selflessly
Awaited me
I long to feel her light so warm
My thoughts racing to the places
Where her room invitingly
Awaited me
As the ocean brings in its high tide
As the darkness sets upon the beach
As we drive we look out at black cows
Glowing store windows in old gold rush towns
Over the bridge, the city sparkles so bright
Our hungry stomachs smell bread rise
Dim light of television, bedding soft down
And hear the perfect night as foghorns sound
A million miles now have gone behind me
Walked in the room, soaked up its fumes
Surveyed the faces I am lying to
Though I was broken and falling apart
Gave for the memory of a friend
Not for myself and not for them
She came in from the storm so bright and welcome
Her friends came and swept her away
Disappeared like coyotes off on dark high plains
Trying to remember
Where it was last night I laid my head to sleep
Where the empty night hung heavily over
To Barcelona, to Pamplona
Where every ghost unto me known
Haunted me
And floated through the clouds as they swelled and shook
The bronze-tinted land and sea
And houses rolled in hills like yellowing teeth
The dizzying air filled my lungs
And just as soon she'd woken me
My eyes blurry, my mind heavy
And carried her aroma on to Verona
And all the kindness she had shown
Was only a dream
The frozen lots where ignored souls loomed
As last rays of daylight died
I'm blowing into my hands and clearing my eyes
The noise dimmed, once so loudly it had grown
And as the engines burned through the night
I stared off at far away lights
To sleepy potions of blue oceans
Where my love so selflessly
Awaited me
My thoughts racing to the places
Where her room invitingly
Awaited me
As the darkness sets upon the beach
As we drive we look out at black cows
Glowing store windows in old gold rush towns
Our hungry stomachs smell bread rise
Dim light of television, bedding soft down
And hear the perfect night as foghorns sound
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
for the second to last verse, i could decipher...
"as we drive we look out at black cars glowing store windows in our gold rush town."
It seems MK was retracing the route he had taken years (?) before with one lover (Katy?), while his current lover waited for him in USA. He returns to her as the music changes for the final two verses.
I'm so glad someone put up these lyrics.
You got one of the most beautiful passages wrong:
"I left Bilbao, went to Madrid, to Barcelona, to Pamplona, where every ghost unto me known haunted me."
http://www.blueguitar.info/lyrics/Tonight%20In%20Bilbao.txt has more or less accurate lyrics.
Seems to be about a European tour Mark went on, but he left someone dear to him home in the US, and everywhere he goes he misses her.
My favorite song from April. Reminds me a lot about railing around Europe. Perhaps next time I'll copy his route :-)
Couldn't agree with you more, both with your review & meaning of the song. I trained through Europe as a kid and only wish I had this song with me back then.
Couldn't agree with you more, both with your review & meaning of the song. I trained through Europe as a kid and only wish I had this song with me back then.
Amazing song, amazing artist. Thanks Mark.
Amazing song, amazing artist. Thanks Mark.