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while you were sleeping
the babies grew
the stars shined and the shadows moved
time flew, the phone rang
there was a silence when the kitchen sang
its songs competed like kids for space
we stared for hours in our maker's face
they gave us picks
said go mine the sun
and go gold and come back when you're done
while you were sleeping
you tossed, you turned
you rolled your eyes as the world burned
the heavens fell, the earth quaked
i thought you must be, but you weren't awake
no, you were sleeping
you ignored the sun
you grew your power garden
for your little ones
and you found brides for them on christmas eve
they hung young cain from the adam trees
and danced
while you were sleeping
i tossed and i turned
til i closed my eyes
but the future burned
through the planet turned a hair gray
as i relived the day
while you were sleeping
the money died
machines were harmless and the earth sighed
through the wind you slept sound
and gravity caught my love around
the ocean rose, sang about decay
while witches flew
and the mermaids stayed
full of dreams, you overslept
and keeping with quiet, through the walls i crept
i walked on tiptoe, sent darkness swirling over all the kitchen in the early morning
i'll never catch up to you
who sleeps so sound
my arms are useless
my heart beats too loud to go to sleep
my mind's too proud to bow out
while you were sleeping
the time changed
all your things were rearranged
your vampire mirrors face to face
they saw forever out into space
and found you dreaming in black and white
while it rained in all the colors of the night
i watched the tvs
memories
championships
vanished to sea
could it be, my honey between you and me
so i waited for the riddled sky
to be solved again by sunrise
and i've made a death suit for life
for my father's ill widowed wife
did you have that strangest dream before you woke
cos in your gown you had the butterfly stroke
did it escape you like some half told joke?
when you reached for your plume of smoke
it'll haunt you, my honey bee
anyone who is anyone has that same dream
were you falling
were you flying
and were you calling out
or were you dying
thank god you're up now
let's stay that way
else there'll be no mornings
and no more days
cos when we're dreaming
our babies grow
the sun shines
and the shadows flow
time flies
the phone rings
there is a silence
and everybody tries to sing
the babies grew
the stars shined and the shadows moved
time flew, the phone rang
there was a silence when the kitchen sang
its songs competed like kids for space
we stared for hours in our maker's face
they gave us picks
said go mine the sun
and go gold and come back when you're done
while you were sleeping
you tossed, you turned
you rolled your eyes as the world burned
the heavens fell, the earth quaked
i thought you must be, but you weren't awake
no, you were sleeping
you ignored the sun
you grew your power garden
for your little ones
and you found brides for them on christmas eve
they hung young cain from the adam trees
and danced
while you were sleeping
i tossed and i turned
til i closed my eyes
but the future burned
through the planet turned a hair gray
as i relived the day
while you were sleeping
the money died
machines were harmless and the earth sighed
through the wind you slept sound
and gravity caught my love around
the ocean rose, sang about decay
while witches flew
and the mermaids stayed
full of dreams, you overslept
and keeping with quiet, through the walls i crept
i walked on tiptoe, sent darkness swirling over all the kitchen in the early morning
i'll never catch up to you
who sleeps so sound
my arms are useless
my heart beats too loud to go to sleep
my mind's too proud to bow out
while you were sleeping
the time changed
all your things were rearranged
your vampire mirrors face to face
they saw forever out into space
and found you dreaming in black and white
while it rained in all the colors of the night
i watched the tvs
memories
championships
vanished to sea
could it be, my honey between you and me
so i waited for the riddled sky
to be solved again by sunrise
and i've made a death suit for life
for my father's ill widowed wife
did you have that strangest dream before you woke
cos in your gown you had the butterfly stroke
did it escape you like some half told joke?
when you reached for your plume of smoke
it'll haunt you, my honey bee
anyone who is anyone has that same dream
were you falling
were you flying
and were you calling out
or were you dying
thank god you're up now
let's stay that way
else there'll be no mornings
and no more days
cos when we're dreaming
our babies grow
the sun shines
and the shadows flow
time flies
the phone rings
there is a silence
and everybody tries to sing
Lyrics submitted by fursoftasfur
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Part of him wants to join her in that rational, cold state, at least for a time, but he's not built that way, it's not natural to him: i'll never catch up to you/who sleeps so sound/my arms are useless/my heart beats too loud to go to sleep/my mind's too proud to bow out".
Regardless, this is a beautiful and well written song. I still remember the first time I heard this song, and think about it everytime I hear it.
Such a sad and beautiful line.
God bless you, Elvis Perkins.
although the little tune at the beginning of this song reminds me of the tune of "Caroline" by John Butler Trio... hmm.
Just the image is so peaceful and beautiful
i recently started at uni, and so all my old friends are all over the country, and last night, a good friend of mine stayed over, cos she was down in london to visit me and a couple of other people.
anyway, i'm completely in love with her, but haven't told her yet, cos i dunno if it would work out with being so far away from each other, or whether it'd make things awkward between us.
but i couldn't sleep last night, when she was staying over, so i spent half the night lying awake, and watching her sleep, and thinking how beautiful she looked when she was sleeping.
and it made me think of this song.
and now this song reminds me of her.
not technically anything to do with what the song means, but thats what it means to me.
i'm seeing elvis perkins in deerland on tuesday night in shephered's bush, and will almost certainly cry when he plays this song.
it's a beautiful piece of music and writing, which now holds nice memories.