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To All the Lights in the Windows Lyrics
Moses up on the mountainside
What a place to meet
He brought his pad and his pencil
Poured himself some gypsy tea
And all the world's multiplicity
They turn his brain and his soul to stone
He drew his face on a tablet
And carried it back home
Jesus off in the water
Standing on his feet
Yeah, that's the thing about charisma
It makes everyone believe
But there is nothing impossible
When I'm with you and when you're with me
I got a sad sinking feeling
That that can never be
But I'm going to do what I can for you
I will make a plea
To all the lights in the windows
The puddles in the streets
And all the lovers that you've been teasing
From your balcony
May they carry you far from my memory
Solomon heard a protest
From the lower court
Reached in his ear for a silver dollar
Just like he'd done before
He tossed it high
Said that wisdom's fickle
And chance is God's retort
And handed them a sentence
It was death by Trojan horse
Pharoah woke from a bad dream
Splashed some water on his face
When it's a matter of nightmares you had
Better ask a slave
And he may tell you a famine's coming
Or he may look away
If he's kind then return it
Let him lick your plate
But I'm going to do what I can for you
I will make a plea
To all the birds in the chimneys
The whales up on the beach
And all the footsteps that you've been hearing
Like a timpani
May they carry you far from your enemies
But I'm going to do what I can for you
I will make a plea
To all the lights in the windows
The puddles in the streets
And all the hours that you've been sitting
At your vanity
May they carry you far from your misery
May they carry you far
Jesus off in the water
Standing on his feet
Yeah, that's the thing about charisma
It makes everyone believe
That there is nothing impossible
When I'm with you and when you're with me
I got a sad sinking feeling
That will never be
What a place to meet
He brought his pad and his pencil
Poured himself some gypsy tea
And all the world's multiplicity
They turn his brain and his soul to stone
He drew his face on a tablet
And carried it back home
Standing on his feet
Yeah, that's the thing about charisma
It makes everyone believe
But there is nothing impossible
When I'm with you and when you're with me
I got a sad sinking feeling
That that can never be
I will make a plea
To all the lights in the windows
The puddles in the streets
And all the lovers that you've been teasing
From your balcony
May they carry you far from my memory
From the lower court
Reached in his ear for a silver dollar
Just like he'd done before
He tossed it high
Said that wisdom's fickle
And chance is God's retort
And handed them a sentence
It was death by Trojan horse
Splashed some water on his face
When it's a matter of nightmares you had
Better ask a slave
And he may tell you a famine's coming
Or he may look away
If he's kind then return it
Let him lick your plate
I will make a plea
To all the birds in the chimneys
The whales up on the beach
And all the footsteps that you've been hearing
Like a timpani
May they carry you far from your enemies
I will make a plea
To all the lights in the windows
The puddles in the streets
And all the hours that you've been sitting
At your vanity
May they carry you far from your misery
May they carry you far
Standing on his feet
Yeah, that's the thing about charisma
It makes everyone believe
That there is nothing impossible
When I'm with you and when you're with me
I got a sad sinking feeling
That will never be
Song Info
Submitted by
jacknicholson On Apr 08, 2009
More Conor Oberst
Lenders in the Temple
Get-Well-Cards
Cape Canaveral
Eagle on a Pole
Danny Callahan
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"Wisdom is fickle and chance is god's retort" The man is a genius
I loveee it!!! i wanted to write the lyrics to this song lol but arghhh i love it too much!
i wish he'd sing more of the songs on the album
This song is incredible. Now that I've listened to the album a few times, I'd say this is my favourite.
A beautiful song with the integration of biblical and historic storytelling and interpretation. The narrator may be talking to a former lover. Or, he may be a disenchanted lone wolf singing to the human spirit (do what I can for you), as it exists today, and how it manifests itself in today's religion (charisma), politics (footsteps/enemies), and culture (vanity/misery).
"There is nothing impossible when I'm with you and when you're with me I got a sad sinking feeling, that that could never be"
This is about a loving spirit, like Lennon saying "give peace a chance", but "wisdom is fickle, and chance is God's retort", so it ain't likely to happen.
Love the poetic flow of this song!
"But I'm going to do what I can for you I will make complete"
It's not "I will make complete" it's " I will make a plea"
"timpani" not "tambourine", i think.
It's such a great song :)
And all the lovers that you've been teasing From your balcony= Shakespeare
Solomon heard a protest From the lower court Reached in his ear for a silver dollar Just like he'd done before He tossed it high Said that wisdom's fickle And chance is God's retort And handed them a sentence It was death by Trojan horse = amazing
there is something about that lyric that just flows and seems pefect. at times, conor is flawless
there is something about that lyric that just flows and seems pefect. at times, conor is flawless
Pharoah woke from a bad dream Splashed some water on his face