Please give me a second grace
Please give me a second face
I've fallen far down
The first time around
Now I just sit on the ground in your way

Now if it's time to recompense for what's done
Come, come sit down on the fence in the sun
And the clouds will roll by
And we'll never deny
It's really too hard for the fly

Please tell me your second name
Please play me your second game
I've fallen so far
For the people you are
I just need your star for a day

So come, come ride in my my street-car by the bay
For now I must know how fine you are in your way
And the sea sure as I
But you won't need to cry
For it's really too hard for the fly


Lyrics submitted by lordofsandwiches, edited by mrkhrdr, i12bent, tangential1, tjphoto

Fly Lyrics as written by Nick Drake

Lyrics © Reservoir Media Management, Inc.

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Fly song meanings
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    General Comment

    There are a few lines in the printed lyric that I believe are obviously incorrect, such as "Now it's time FOR recompense for what's done" and "And the sea she will sigh". As for the key line containing the song title and important meaning, I believe it should be "For it's really too hard for to fly", meaning in this somewhat archaic phrasing (extraneous "for" is there because another beat is needed, but also because it has a more old English sound to it) that the singer can't take wing or escape the sorrow he feels.

    As others have suggested, there's a plaintive quality to the words and the vocal quality. It's a rare case of Nick Drake raising the tone of his voice to a bit higher register, giving it a somewhat strained sound to fit the pleading of his words. The viola and harpsichord, too, lend a more traditional English quality to the music. I think Nick was harkening back to the English poetry of an earlier epoch.

    tjphotoon April 08, 2019   Link

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