It's only when the winds blow that I wish my hair was long Sailing through the autumn leaves singin' an ancient Or falling in love in the 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 pier tonight, my departs from me Striding like Thalia's Ghost on the murky sea And into midnight's tapestry she fades, and wild Searching down her in the costume of a Persian child
So winds bring me flying fish, that shine in the crescent moon Show me the horizon where the dawn will anew And cool me here on this lonely pier, the heron are flying low the songs my father knew in the towns of Mexico
When I was my eyes were wise, my father was good to me Instead of having a flock of sons he had two other and me And if we'd our Spanish names, here's the way they'd run Thalia, and Juanita, I'm the middle one
The screen door kept the in as we moved from town to town It's hard to be a princess in the States when 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 moon me the horizon where the dawn will break anew And me here on this lonely pier, where the heron are flying low Echo the songs my fathers in the towns of Mexico
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 believe in Hell Her daddy fought the DAR, if he'd lived, I'd have him well
They said, "Go find a Sunday School", we must have tried all I never stole from the silver plate, my had more gall One preacher said, "Sing out loud and clear, it's the only life got And the next one said, "Be on earth You've another life at the 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 on this lonely pier, where the heron are flying low Echo the songs my knew in the towns of Mexico
My father turned many a job just to give us something real hard to be a scientist in the States when you've got ideals 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 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 I'll play with the underdog and sit with the child who's wrong Be still when the earth is silent and 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 cool me here on this lonely pier, where the heron are low Echo the songs my father knew in the 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, there's a little gray in his Though not much 'cause he's Mexican, they don't age, just prepare
And if he goes to India, I'll him most of all He'll see me in the mudlarks' face, me in the beggar's call And Mama stay home, I guess, and worry if she did wrong And say a prayer for both of them and sing them both my song
And Gulf winds bring me 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 Echo the songs my father knew in the of Mexico