Soft as Chalk
Joanna Newsom Lyrics

So, so long ago,
A long time ago, in the past

and so far away,
In a distant place

when Time was just a line
When time was a simple concept

that you fed me,
That you taught me to understand

when you wanted to stay,
When you wanted to remain together

we'd talk
We would have conversations

as soft as chalk,
In a gentle manner

till morning came, as pale as a pearl:
Until the morning arrived

No time!
There's no time left

No, no time!
Absolutely no time

Now, I have got all the time
Now, I have all the time

in the world.
That I could ever need

Say, honey, did you belong to me?
Did you consider yourself mine?

Tell me, honey,
Please answer me

was your heart at rest when, darlin,
Did you feel at ease when, my love,

all the mourning doves were howling us
When the mourning doves were singing to us

a song of love's
A song about love

godawful lawlessness?
A chaotic and uncertain state

Tell me, honey, did you belong to me?
Did you feel that you belonged to me?

Tell me, honey, did I pass your test?
Did I meet your expectations?

I lay, as still as death, until the dawn,
I stayed motionless until morning

whereupon I wrested from
Then I took control from

your godawful lawlessness.
Your chaotic state

I roam around the tidy grounds
I move around the neat surroundings

of my dappled sanatorium.
Of the facility where I am staying

Coatless, I sit amongst the moles, adrift,
Without a coat, I sit among the digging animals, lost

and I dote upon my pinesap gum.
I obsess over my chewing gum made from pine sap

And the light, through the pines,
The light, shining through the pine trees,

in brassy tines,
With a metallic quality,

lays over me, dim as rum
Covers me dimly, like a liquor

and thick as molasses.
And thick like molasses

And so time passes.
And time goes on

And so, my heart, tomorrow comes.
And so, my heart prepares for the future

I feel you, leaning,
I sense you, leaning against something,

out back with the crickets,
Outside with the crickets

loyal heart marking the soon-ness,
Loyal heart telling me that something is about to happen

darkness:
It is dark

tonight, still,
Tonight, despite everything,

the mourning doves
These birds of mourning

will summon us their song
Will play us their song

of love's neverdoneing lawlessness.
About the chaos and uncertainty of love that never ends

Roll over and over--
Toss and turn,

rear up! stand down! lay round!--
Move around in bed

trying to sound-out,
Trying to decipher

or guess the reasons,
Or guess the causes

I sleep like a soldier, without rest.
I sleep like a soldier, without peace

But there is no treason,
But there is no betrayal,

where there is only lawlessness.
Where there is only chaos

In the last week
In the final week

of the last year I was aware,
Of the last year I had consciousness of

I took a blind shot, across the creek,
I fired randomly, across the water,

at the black bear,
At the black bear

when he roused me in the night,
When he woke me from my sleep

and left me cowering with my light,
And left me hiding with my light

calling out
Screaming

Who is there? Who's there?
Who is it? Who's there?

Who is there?
Who's there?

I watched you sleep,
I watched you sleeping

repeating my prayer.
Praying over and over

(Give love a little shove
(If you apply a little force to love

and it becomes terror.)
It can become terrifying)

Now I am calling,
Now I am shouting,

in a sadness beyond anger
In a sadness that surpasses anger

and beyond fear,
And beyond fear,

Who is there? Who's there?
Who is it? Who's there?

Who is there?
Who's there?

I glare and nod,
I look and nod

like the character, God,
Like the character of God

bearing down
Coming close

upon the houses and lawns.
Upon the houses and their gardens

I knew a little bit,
I had some knowledge

but, darling, you were it,
But, my love, you were everything

and, darling, now it is long gone.
And, my love, it is now in the past

Sweetheart, in your clean, bright start--
My sweet love, in your new beginning--

back there, behind a hill, and a dell,
Over there, behind a hill and a valley,

and a state line or two--
And maybe a few state lines away--

I'll be thinking of you.
I'll be remembering you

Yes, I'll be thinking,
Yes, I'll be remembering,

and be wishing you well.
And hoping that you're happy

We land, I stand,
We arrive, I stand up,

But I wait for the sound of the bell.
But I wait for the announcement

I have to catch a cab,
I have to take a taxi,

and my bags are at the carousel.
And my bags are moving down the conveyor belt,

And then--Lord, just then--
And then--Oh my God, right then--

time alone will only tell.
Only time will reveal what's next.