Fountain of Sorrow
Joan Baez Lyrics

Well I was looking through some photographs I found inside a drawer
I found some old pictures, and was reminded of the past.

I was taken by a photograph of you
One picture of you stood out and captured my attention.

There were one or two I know that you would have liked a little more
There were other pictures that I thought you would have preferred, but didn't capture your true essence.

But they didn't show your spirit quite as true
The pictures didn't really capture your true character and personality.

You were turning 'round to see who was behind you
You were looking to see who was there with you in the moment.

And I took your childish laughter by surprise
I captured a candid moment of your joyful and carefree laughter, without you knowing.

And at the moment that my camera happened to find you
I took a photo of you when I saw an opportunity.

There was just a trace of sorrow in your eyes
However, there was also an underlying trace of sadness or melancholy in your expression.

Now the things that I remember seem so distant and so small
As I look back on the memories, they seem distant and insignificant.

Though it hasn't really been that long a time
Although it hasn't been a particularly long time since those memories were made.

What I was seeing wasn't really happening at all
The reality of the situation was different from what I perceived in the moment.

Although for a while, our path did seem to climb
At the time, it seemed like we were headed towards greater things.

When you see through love's illusions, there lies the danger
Realizing that love can create an illusion and not be as it seems, can be dangerous.

And your perfect lover just looks like a perfect fool
Sometimes our perception of the person we love can become skewed, and we might see them as a fool.

So you go running off in search of a perfect stranger
In search of someone new, we may take a chance on an unknown new lover.

While the loneliness seems to spring from your life
Despite this, we might still feel a deep loneliness in our lives.

Like a fountain from a pool
This loneliness can seem to come from within us, like water from a fountain.

Fountain of sorrow, fountain of light
This feeling of loneliness can be both painful and enlightening at times.

You've known that hollow sound of your own steps in flight
You've experienced the echo of your own steps when running away from something.

You've had to hide sometimes, but now you're all right
There were moments when you had to hide, but now you're okay with being yourself.

And it's good to see your smiling face tonight
It's nice to see you happy and content now.

Now for you and me it may not be that hard to reach our dreams
It may not be that difficult for us to achieve our goals.

But that magic feeling never seems to last
However, the feeling of euphoria doesn't last forever.

And while the future's there for anyone to change
Even though we have the power to change our future.

Still you know it's seems
Sometimes it feels like

It would be easier sometimes to change the past
It would be easier to go back and change things that have already happened.

I'm just one or two years and a couple of changes behind you
I'm a little younger and experienced than you, but not too far behind.

In my lessons at love's pain and heartache school
As I've gone through my own share of heartbreak and pain when it comes to love.

Where if you feel too free and you need something to remind you
In moments where you feel especially free and independent, you might need a reminder to be careful.

There's this loneliness springing up from your life
Loneliness can come from being on your own, leaving you feeling isolated.

Like a fountain from a pool
This loneliness can bubble up from within you and take over, like water from a fountain.

Fountain of sorrow, fountain of light
This loneliness can be a source of sadness, but also growth and enlightenment.

You've known that hollow sound of your own steps in flight
When running away, you've experienced the sound of your own footsteps echoing back at you.

You've had to hide sometimes but now you're all right
There were times where you had to hide yourself away, but now you're okay with being yourself.

And it's good to see your smiling face tonight
It's great to see you happy and content now.