The Bird In The Gravel Lyrics - Jane Siberry

I was dreaming in the steam room 

Everything was so clear for a minute 

And I thought, and the dripping tiles and 

And I said, I'll confess everything" 

Yes, I own this land, I own these forests 

Surrounding my, my estate 

This is my tea coming 

Everything I can, I confess 

Bend now, I have the bend 

The best I ever, place the tea just so 

Then release and turn, oh no, not yet 

Then release and turn, turn away then go 

Better try again looking at me 

He's wait 'til tomorrow, don't want him to know 

Next time he orders tea, release and turn 

Turn and limp away, turn and limp away 

I was walking through the forest 

On my break today 

I had this funny feeling 

Something was going to change 

I was walking through the dry leaves 

It was very strange 

They hadn't changed their color 

All the leaves were green 

I don't mind when it's over 

I don't mind when it's all done 

It's just the moments in between 

Just before it's gone 

Something's going to happen 

Something's going to change 

I know, I know, I know 

And when autumn comes, well, there's lots of work to do 

Bill, that means you, time to clean the kettles 

And the pots on the wall, pickling and preserving 

All the vegetables, stop kicking the apples 

Are we pickling this year? Yes, you know we are 

And when autumn comes 

Well, there's lots of work to do 

Bill, that means you, time to get the twigs up 

You know, all those stick things 

Time to trim back the roses 

So next year even more grow 

Does it hurt them to do that? 

Does it hurt them? No 

And when autumn comes 

Well, deliveries start to go 

Here he is now, down into the valley 

To the market he goes 

Down along the tiny roads 

That wind along the vineyards 

And people lean on their rakes 

And they say, Hello, hello, there Francesco 

Francesco there, hello 

And those are my swans 

Believe me, there's no light 

And there isn't because it's so dark 

Because it's so dark, because it's so dark 

I was walking through the dry leaves 

It was very strange 

The leaves fell without changing 

No yellows and no reds 

Something's going to happen 

Something's going to change 

And just then as I looked up 

I remembered what you said 

I'm crying because I love you 

I know that things must change 

I can't be there when you leave 

What if you're afraid? 

You said, something about the leaving 

The moments in between the yawning 

When the world shifts 

The clanging of the trains 

And a dog sits up and growls 

And a cow begins to bawl 

And a nun nearby stops to listen 

Cross herself and then move on 

I was laughing in the forest 

I fell down in the leaves 

And I watched the trees above me 

Crossing in the breeze 

I love the bare branches 

I love the healing bells 

The bareness in the last sun 

The greyness and the gold 

And a flock of geese flew over 

And I laughed harder still 

I laughed 'til I was heaving 

Then everything was still 

Bend now, I have the bend 

Place the tea just so 

Then release and turn, oh, not yet 

Turn away then go, better try again 

He's looking at me, wait until tomorrow 

Don't want him to know, next time, time he orders tea 

Release and turn, turn and limp away 

Limp away just go, turn away just go 

Just go, just go, just go