Occident

Joanna Newsom

Mercy me, the night is long
Take my pen to write you this song
Lord, is it harder to carry on
Or to know when you are done?

All my life I felt as though
I'm inside a beautiful
Memory replaying with the sound turned down low

Long life, show your face
Slow heart, curb your taste
Smoke me out of my hiding place
Long life, state your case

What in the world are we waiting for?
Building glowing cities along the shore
Where the wind batters in
Baiting my kin like a matador

So much value placed upon
What lies just beyond our plans
Waving my handkerchief
Running along to the end of the sand

Long life, speak your name
So tired of the guessing game
But something is moving just out of frame
Slow heart, brace and aim

Breaching slowly across the sea
One mast flash like the stinger of a bee
To take you away a swarming fleet
Is gonna take you from me

The universe is getting loose
Sodden spread from some leaden disuse
Rushing unhinged towards diminishing lights
Like a headless caboose

I will wait for you 'longside the ocean
And make do with my no-skin
But then long life, will you let me in?
And then slow heart, are you going to know him?

Long life, speak your name
I wait while I decry the wait
And when I die, may I relate
Slow heart, congregate

To leave your home and your family
For some distortion of property?
Well darling I can't go
But you may stay
Here with me