It's only when the winds blow that I wish my hair was long Sailing through the autumn singin' an ancient song Or falling in love in the streets at night at the of a local square It's only that I'm here thinkin' I was there
There's high on the pier tonight, my soul departs from me Striding like Thalia's Ghost on the murky sea And midnight's tapestry she fades, ragged and wild Searching her ancestry in the costume of a Persian child
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 knew in the towns of Mexico
When I was young my were wise, my father was good to me Instead of a flock of sons 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 kept the Demons in as we moved from town to town It's to be a princess in the States when your skin is brown And Mama smoothed my worried brow, as I on the kitchen door "Why do you the weight", she said "Of the and maybe more"
Gulf winds bring me flying fish, that shine in the crescent Show me the horizon where the dawn will anew And cool me on this lonely pier, where the heron are flying low Echo the songs my fathers knew in the towns of
My grandfathers were ministers and it came on down the My Father in his parents' church When he was ten and nine And Mama dressed in parishioners' clothes and didn't believe in Her daddy fought the DAR, if he'd lived, I'd have him well
They said, "Go find a Sunday School", we must 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 you've got And the next one said, "Be on earth You've life at the feet of God"
And Gulf winds bring me flying fish, that shine in the crescent me the horizon where the dawn will 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 father turned down a job just to give us something real hard to be a scientist in the States when you've got ideals And Mama kept the 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 of what we know Though tonight my memory's eye is clear as the story's being And play ball with the underdog and sit with the child who's wrong Be still when the earth is and sing when my strength is gone
So Gulf winds bring me fish, that shine in the crescent moon me the horizon where the dawn will break anew And cool me here on this lonely pier, where the heron are low Echo the songs my father in the towns of Mexico
Now Father's going to India, in the fall They tried to together 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 age, they just prepare
And if he to India, I'll miss him most of all He'll see me in the mudlarks' face, hear me in the call And Mama will stay home, I guess, and if she did wrong And I'll say a prayer for both of them and them both my song
And 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 are flying low Echo the songs my father knew in the towns of