Iron & Wine

[fox69]

"Half Moon"

"Half Moon"


Halfway home in the hilltop trees
And all our footprints in the snow
And the evening glow leaving
Low night noise in the wintertime
I wake beside you on the floor
Counting your breathing
Cause I can't see nothing in this half moon
Lay me down if i should lose you.
Halfway-working on a worn-out house
And all our friends the ragged crows
And aching bones whining.
Where are we when the twilight comes?
The dark of valley and the breeze
And the frozen leaves chiming?
Cause I can't see nothing in this half moon
Lay me down if i should lose you...

 

[fox69]

"Halfway To Richmond"

"Halfway To Richmond"


I'll make supper for myself, I'll watch the clock upon the shelf
I'll clean this broken house you denied
Is your time much better spent by givin' such a small percent
To every pleasantry that I've tried?

What's this ugly thing I see? When was this cold and uncomely
Animosity begotten?
Fuckin' with the lights left on 'til every ounce of strength was gone
Is there something you'd forgotten?

When a new sun warms the bedroom wall
I'll be halfway to Richmond
I'm the fool just to care at all
You're the free vagabond

London Bridge is fallin' down and Simon says to turn around
These games ain't too fun when you're grown
Where'd you go, and why'd you leave? I'll close my eyes and count to three
Then hurry up and wait by the phone

When a new sun warms the bedroom wall
I'll be halfway to Richmond
I'm the fool just to care at all
You're the free vagabond

 

[fox69]

"He Lays In The Reins"

"He Lays In The Reins"


One more drink tonight as your gray stallion rests
Where he lays in the reins
For all of the speed and the strength he gave

One more kiss tonight from some tall stable girl
She's like grace from the earth
When you're all tuckered out and tame

One more tired thing the gray moon on the rise
When your want from the day
Makes you to curse in your sleep at night

One more gift to bring we may well find you laid
Like your steed in his reins
Tangled too tight and too long to fight

 

[fox69]

"Hickory"

"Hickory"


He kissed her once as she leaned on the windowsill
She'll never love him but knows that her father will
Her fallen fruit is all rotten in the middle but her
Breast never dries when he's hungry
The money came and she died in her rocking chair
The window wide and the rain in her braided hair
A letter locked in the pattern of her knuckle
Like a hymn to the house she was making
Blind and whistling just around the corner and there's a
Wind that is whispering something
Strong as hell but not hickory rooted
She kissed him once cause he gave her a cigarette
And turned around but he waits like a turned down bed
And summer left like her walking with another and a
Sound of a church bell ringing
The money came and he died like a butterfly
A buried star and the haze of the city lights
A gun went off and her mother dropped her baby on the
Blue feathered wing - we were lucky
Blind and whistling just around the corner and there's a
Wind that is whispering something
Strong as hell but not hickory rooted

 

[fox69]

"History Of Lovers"

"History Of Lovers"


Louise only got from me innocent poetry
Although she played to not listen
But still I can hear myself speak as if no one else
Ever could offer the same
Some say she knowingly tasts like a recipe
Although so foolish and willing
I said Babe I can picture you bend as if wanting to
Bow as the curtain goes down
Coddle some men, they'll remember you bitterly
Fuck 'em, they'll come back for more
I asked my Louise would she leave and so cripple me
Then came a knock at the door
"I came for my woman", he came with a razor blade
Bound like us all for the ocean
I hope that she's happy I'm blamed for the death of
A man who would take her from me
Some they saw in me innocent poetry
Some, some say they'll never be certain
But still it's been written, a history of lovers
Given and taken in ink
Coddle some men, they'll remember you fittingly
Cut 'em, they'll come back for more
I asked my Louise would she leave and so cripple me
Then came the knock at the door
Louise came to rescue me, missing the irony
Blood made her heart change its beating
I hope that she's happy I'm blamed for the death of
The man she found better than me

 

[fox69]

"Homeward, These Shoes"

"Homeward, These Shoes"


Homeward the new road meanders
Washed out the old road as to what did I bring
Flowers, a verse about springtime
Perchance in the treeline she's awaiting for me

Homeward these shoes worn to paper
Thin as the reason I left here so young
Homeward and what if I see her
There in the doorway I walked away from

White house asleep on the hillside
Firm as a habit I struggled to shed
Homeward with heaven above me
Old road behind me, a door up ahead

 

[fox69]

"House By The Sea"

"House By The Sea"


There is a house by the sea
Two jealous sisters, they're waiting for me
And one is laid on the floor
And one is changing the locks on the doors
And I've been buying the time on my knees
And I've been selling their blankets to bleed (on)

Around the house by the sea
The scent of roses and raspberry leaves
And there is smoke in my clothes
Too much time with just smoke in my nose
And I've been making the meaning they lack
And I've been burning that book they come back too

There is a house by the sea
And an ocean between it and me
And like the shape of a wave
The jealous sisters will sing on my grave
And I've been living to run where they led
And I've been dying to rise from their bed
And I've been sparing my neck from their chain
And they've been changing the sound of my name
And I've been swimming to them in my sleep
And I've been dreaming our love and our freedom

 

[fox69]

"Innocent Bones"

"Innocent Bones"


Cain got a milk-eyed mule from the auction
Abel got a telephone
And even the last of the blue-eyed babies know
That the burning man is the color of the end of day
And how every tongue that gets bit always has another word to say

Cain bought a blade from some witch at the window
Abel bought a bag of weed
And even the last of the brown-eyed babies see
That the cartoon king has a tattoo of a bleeding heart
There ain't a penthouse Christian wants the pain of the scab, but they all want the scar
How every mouth sings of what it's without so we all sing of love
And how it ain't one dog who's good at fucking and denying who he's thinking of

Cain heard a cat tumble limp off the rooftop
Abel heard his papa pray
And even the last of the black-eyed babies say
That every saint has a chair you can borrow and a church to sell
That the wind blows cold across the back of the master and the kitchen help
There's a big pile of innocent bones still holding up the garden wall
And it was always the broken hand we learned to lean on after all
How God knows if Christ came back he would find us in a poker game
After finding out the drugs were all free but they won't let you out the door again

 

[fox69]

"Jesus The Mexican Boy"

"Jesus The Mexican Boy"


Jesus the Mexican boy
born in a truck on the fourth of July
gave me a card with a lady naked on the back
Barefoot at night on the road
Fireworks blooming above in the sky
I never knew I was given the best one from the deck

He never wanted nothing I remember
Maybe a broken bottle if I had two
Hanging behind his holy even temper
Hiding the more unholy things I do

Jesus the Mexican boy
Gave me a ride on the back of his bike
Out to the fair though I welched on a $5 bet
Drunk on Calliope songs
We met a home-wrecking carnival girl
He's never asked for a favor or the money yet

Jesus the Mexican boy
Born in a truck on the 4th of July
I fell in love with his sister unrepentantly
Fearing he wouldn't approve
We made a lie that was feeble at best
Boarded a train bound for Vegas and married secretly

I never gave him nothing I remember
Maybe a broken bottle if I had two
Hanging behind his holy even temper
Hiding the more unholy things I do

Jesus the Mexican boy
Wearing a long desert trip on his tie
Lo and behold he was standing under the welcome sign
Naked the Judas in me
Fell by the tracks but he lifted me high
Kissing my head like a brother and never asking why

 

[fox69]

"Jezebel"

"Jezebel"


Who's seen jezebel?
She was born to be the woman i would know
And hold like the breeze
Half as tight as both our eyes closed

Who's seen jezebel?
She went walking where the cedars line the road
Her blouse on the ground
Where the dogs were hungry, roaming

Saying, "wait, we swear
We'll love you more and wholly
Jezebel, it's we, we that you are for
Only"

Who's seen jezebel?
She was born to be the woman we could blame
Make me a beast half as brave
I'd be the same

Who's seen jezebel?
She was gone before i ever got to say
"lay here my love
You're the only shape i'll pray to, jezebel"

Who's seen jezebel?
Will the mountain last as long as i can wait
Wait like the dawn
How it aches to meet the day

Who's seen jezebel?
She was certainly the spark for all i've done
The window was wide
She could see the dogs come running

Saying, "wait, we swear
We'll love you more and wholly
Jezebel, it's we, we that you are for
Only"