The Crane Wife 1 and 2 Lyrics

Lyric discussion by Your_Hand_In_Mine 

Cover art for The Crane Wife 1 and 2 lyrics by Decemberists, The

When I first looked over the lyrics, I thought it was a metaphor for a lonely boy, who found a heartbroken girl, took care of her and nursed her back to happiness, then became greedy and wanted to control her, then she left him..

But the Japanese folk tale works better. Ha.