Part I
It was a cold night
And the snow lay around
I pulled my coat tight
Against the falling down
And the sun was all
And the sun was all down
And the sun was all
And the sun was all down
I am a poor man
I haven't wealth nor fame
I have my two hands
And a house to my name
And the winter's so
And the winter's so long
And the winter's so
And the winter's so long
And all the stars were crashing around
As I laid eyes on what I'd found
It was a white crane
It was a helpless thing
On a red stain
With an arrow its wing
And it called and cried
And it called and cried so
And it called and cried
And it called and cried so
And all the stars were crashing around
As I laid eyes on what I'd found
My crane wife, my crane wife
My crane wife, my crane wife
And how I helped her
And how I dressed her wounds
And how I held her
Beneath the rising moon
And she stood to fly
And she stood to fly away
And she stood to fly
She stood to fly away
And all the stars were crashing around
As I laid eyes on what I'd found
My crane wife, my crane wife
My crane wife, my crane wife
Part II
My crane wife arrived at my door in the moonlight
All star bright and tongue-tied I took her in
We were married and bells rang sweet for our wedding
And our bedding was ready when we fell in
Sound the keening bell
To see it's painted red
Soft as fontanel
The feathers in the thread
When all I ever meant to do was to keep you
My crane wife
My crane wife
My crane wife
We were poorly, our fortunes fading hourly
And how she vowed me she could bring it back
But I was greedy, I was vain and I forced her to weaving
On a cold loom, in a closed room, with down wove
Sound the keening bell
To see it's painted red
Soft as fontanel
The feathers in the thread
And all I ever meant to do was to keep you
My crane wife
My crane wife
There's a bend in the wind and it rakes at my heart
There is blood in the thread and it rakes at my heart
It rakes at my heart
My crane wife
It was a cold night
And the snow lay around
I pulled my coat tight
Against the falling down
And the sun was all
And the sun was all down
And the sun was all
And the sun was all down
I am a poor man
I haven't wealth nor fame
I have my two hands
And a house to my name
And the winter's so
And the winter's so long
And the winter's so
And the winter's so long
And all the stars were crashing around
As I laid eyes on what I'd found
It was a white crane
It was a helpless thing
On a red stain
With an arrow its wing
And it called and cried
And it called and cried so
And it called and cried
And it called and cried so
And all the stars were crashing around
As I laid eyes on what I'd found
My crane wife, my crane wife
My crane wife, my crane wife
And how I helped her
And how I dressed her wounds
And how I held her
Beneath the rising moon
And she stood to fly
And she stood to fly away
And she stood to fly
She stood to fly away
And all the stars were crashing around
As I laid eyes on what I'd found
My crane wife, my crane wife
My crane wife, my crane wife
Part II
My crane wife arrived at my door in the moonlight
All star bright and tongue-tied I took her in
We were married and bells rang sweet for our wedding
And our bedding was ready when we fell in
Sound the keening bell
To see it's painted red
Soft as fontanel
The feathers in the thread
When all I ever meant to do was to keep you
My crane wife
My crane wife
My crane wife
We were poorly, our fortunes fading hourly
And how she vowed me she could bring it back
But I was greedy, I was vain and I forced her to weaving
On a cold loom, in a closed room, with down wove
Sound the keening bell
To see it's painted red
Soft as fontanel
The feathers in the thread
And all I ever meant to do was to keep you
My crane wife
My crane wife
There's a bend in the wind and it rakes at my heart
There is blood in the thread and it rakes at my heart
It rakes at my heart
My crane wife
Lyrics submitted by Nodima
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However, she makes her husband promise to never enter the room while she weaves her cloth. One day, the man gives in to his curiosity and enters the room, only to find the woman is in fact the crane, plucking feathers out of herself to weave in to cloth. She then flies away, never to be seen again.
That covers the 3 parts - It's not quite perfect, but something like that.
But the Japanese folk tale works better. Ha.
My favorite, the most moving part...
Sound the keening bell (bell for a funeral)
To see it's painted red (her blood)
Soft as fontanel (soft spot on a newborn's head)
The feathers in the thread (the feathers she plucked out)
When all I ever meant to do was to keep you (MAKES ME CRY LIKE A BABY!!)
Oh, and also...
There's a bend in the wind and it rakes at my heart
There is blood in the thread and it rakes at my heart
It rakes at my heart
PROBABLY THE MOST AMAZING SONGS I HAVE EVER HEARD...PART II IS MY FAVORITE AS WELL...DAMN THIS IS GREAT STUFF!
ha.
"There is blood in the thread and it rakes at my heart"
the end of this song is so emotional and brilliant...
Im glad it not just me then! I havnt bawled (I'm a man you know) but powerful is certainly is. In fact I have only just got into the decemberists and have the last two albums. Amazing. This track has so many meanings and could be adapted to any story in any genre. Colin has done a great job, adding a bit more detail to the most basic parts of the song.
On a cold loom, in a closed room down the hall
"Now I helped her
And I dressed her wounds"
Even rhymes better...:)
As I laid eyes on what I'd found
My crane wife, my crane wife
Though I suppose he's singing retrospectively. Great song