It's only when the high blow that I wish my hair was long Sailing through the autumn leaves an ancient song Or falling in love in the streets at at the edge of a local square It's only that I'm tonight thinkin' I was there
There's high winds on the pier tonight, my soul departs me Striding like Thalia's Ghost on the murky sea And into midnight's tapestry she fades, and wild Searching down her ancestry in the costume of a child
So Gulf winds bring me flying fish, that shine in the moon Show me the horizon where the will break anew And cool me on this lonely pier, where the heron are flying low the songs my father knew in the towns of Mexico
When I was young my were wise, my father was good to me Instead of having a flock of he had two other girls and me And if we'd used our Spanish names, the way they'd run Thalia, and Juanita, I'm the middle one
The screen door kept the Demons in as we from town to town It's hard to be a princess in the States when your skin is And Mama smoothed my brow, as I leaned on the kitchen door "Why do you carry the weight", she "Of the and maybe more"
Gulf winds me flying fish, that shine in the crescent moon Show me the horizon where the dawn will break And cool me here on this lonely pier, the heron are flying low Echo the my fathers knew in the towns of Mexico
My grandfathers ministers and it came on down the line My preached in his parents' church When he was ten and nine And Mama dressed in parishioners' and didn't believe in Hell Her daddy the DAR, if he'd lived, I'd have known him well
said, "Go find a Sunday School", we must have tried them all I stole from the silver plate, my sisters had more gall One preacher said, "Sing out loud and clear, it's the only life got And the one said, "Be good on earth another life at the feet of God"
And Gulf winds bring me fish, that shine in the crescent moon Show me the horizon where the will break anew And cool me here on this lonely pier, the heron are flying low Echo the songs my fathers in the towns of Mexico
My father turned down a job just to give us something real It's hard to be a scientist in the States when you've got And Mama the budget book, and she kept the garden too Bought fish the man on Thursdays, fed all of us and strangers too
But will pass and so, alas, will most of what we know Though tonight my memory's eye is clear as the story's being And I'll play ball the underdog and sit with the child who's wrong Be still when the earth is silent and sing my strength is gone
So Gulf winds bring me fish, that shine in the crescent moon Show me the where the dawn will break anew And cool me here on this lonely pier, the heron are flying low Echo the songs my father in the towns of Mexico
Now going to India, sometime in the fall They tried to stay but you just can't do it all I'll think him if he goes, there's a little gray in his hair Though not much 'cause he's Mexican, they don't age, just prepare
And if he goes to India, miss him most of all He'll see me in the mudlarks' face, hear me in the call And will stay home, I guess, and worry if she did wrong And I'll say a prayer for of them and sing them both my song
And Gulf winds bring me flying fish, that shine in the moon Show me the horizon where the will break anew And cool me here on this lonely pier, the heron are flying low Echo the songs my knew in the towns of Mexico