It's only when the high winds that I wish my hair was long Sailing through the autumn leaves singin' an ancient Or in love in the streets at night at the edge of a local square It's that I'm here tonight thinkin' I was there
There's high winds on the tonight, my soul departs from me Striding like Ghost south on the murky sea And into midnight's tapestry she fades, ragged and Searching her ancestry in the costume of a Persian child
So Gulf winds bring me flying fish, that in the crescent moon Show me the where the dawn will break anew And cool me here on this lonely pier, where the heron are low Echo the my father knew in the towns of Mexico
I was young my eyes 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, here's the way run Thalia, and Juanita, I'm the middle one
The screen door kept the Demons in as we moved from town to It's hard to be a princess in the States when skin is brown And smoothed my worried brow, as I leaned on the kitchen door "Why do you carry the weight", she "Of the and maybe more"
Gulf bring me flying fish, that shine in the crescent moon Show me the horizon where the dawn break anew And cool me on this lonely pier, where the heron are flying low the songs my fathers knew in the towns of Mexico
My grandfathers were ministers and it came on down the My Father preached in his church he was ten years and nine And Mama dressed in parishioners' clothes and didn't in Hell Her daddy the DAR, if he'd lived, I'd have known him well
They said, "Go find a Sunday School", we have tried them all I never stole from the silver plate, my sisters had gall One said, "Sing out loud and clear, it's the only life you've got And the one said, "Be good on earth You've life at the feet of God"
And Gulf winds bring me flying fish, that shine in the moon Show me the horizon the dawn 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 to be a scientist in the States when you've got ideals And kept the budget book, and she kept the garden too Bought from the man on Thursdays, fed all of us and strangers too
But time will pass and so, alas, will most of we know Though my memory's eye is clear as the story's being told And I'll play ball with the underdog and sit with the child who's Be when the earth is silent and sing when my strength is gone
So Gulf winds bring me flying fish, that shine in the crescent Show me the horizon where the dawn break anew And me here on this lonely pier, where the heron are flying low Echo the songs my father in the towns of Mexico
Now Father's going to India, sometime in the They tried to stay but you just can't do it all I'll think about him if he goes, a little gray in his hair Though not much 'cause he's Mexican, they don't age, they prepare
And if he goes to India, I'll him most of all see me in the mudlarks' face, hear me in the beggar's call And Mama will stay home, I guess, and worry if she did And say a prayer for both of them and sing them both my song
And Gulf winds bring me flying fish, that in the crescent moon Show me the horizon where the will break anew And cool me here on this lonely pier, where the are flying low Echo the songs my father knew in the of Mexico