Tangled Up In Blue
Robyn Hitchcock Lyrics

Early one morning the sun was shining
It was a bright morning

I was laying in bed
I was in bed

Wondering if she'd changed at all
Reflecting on the person he knew

If her hair was still red
If she still looked the same

Her folks said our lives together
Her parents predicted a hard life for them

Sure was gonna be rough
It was going to be difficult

Never did like Papa's homemade dress
Her father's style wasn't liked

Mama's bankbook wasn't big enough
Her mother had financial difficulties

I was standing on the side of the road
He was by the roadside

Rain falling on my shoes
It was raining heavily

Heading out for the east coast
He was traveling to the East Coast

Lord knows I paid some dues getting through
He faced many difficulties

Tangled up in blue
He was lost in thoughts about the past

She was married when we first met
She was a married woman when they met

Soon to be divorced
She was in the process of getting a divorce

I helped her out of herself I guess
He helped her become herself

But I used a little too much force
He put too much pressure on her

We drove that car as far as we could
They went as far as they could in the car

Abandoned it out West
They left the car in the western part of the country

Split up on a dark sad night
They parted in a depressing way

Both agreeing it was best
They both found it best to split up

I turned around to look at her
He looked back at her

She was a-walking away
She was walking away from him

I heard her say over my shoulder
He heard her say from behind him

"We'll meet again someday
They will eventually meet again

On the Avenue
On the street

Tangled up in blue."
He will be lost in thoughts of the past until then

I was working in the great north woods
He was working in a forested area in the north

Working as a cook for a spell
He worked as a cook for a while

But I never did like it all that much
He didn't have a liking for the job

And one day the axe just fell
He lost the job suddenly

So I drifted down to New Orleans
He wandered down to New Orleans

Looking for to be employed
He was in search of work

Workin' for awhile on a fishing boat
He worked for some time on a fishing boat

Right outside of Delacroix
It was near Delacroix where he worked

But all the while I was alone
He was alone throughout

The past was close behind
The past was near, almost caught up to him

I saw a lot of women
He met many women

But she never escaped my mind
She was always on his mind

And I just grew
He grew and matured

Tangled up in blue
The past continued to haunt him

She was working in a topless place
She worked in a place where the waitresses didn't have tops

And I stopped in for a top
He stopped in for a drink

I said I was missing half of my face
He told her he was deformed

She said "You've come to the wrong shop."
She told him he was in the wrong place

Later on when the crowd thinned out
Later, when the crowd was smaller

I was just about to do the same
He was leaving too

She was standing there in the back of my chair
She was behind him

She said "Don't I know your name?"
She said she recognized him

I murmured something underneath my breath
He whispered under his breath

She studied the lines on my face
She examined his face

I must admit I felt a little uneasy
He felt uncomfortable

When she bent down to tie the lace
When she bent down near his feet

Of my shoe
To tie his shoe

Tangled up in blue
He was still struggling with the past

She lit a burner on the stove
She turned on the stove

And offered me a pipe
She offered him a pipe

I thought she'd never say hello
He didn't expect her to greet him

She said, "You look like the silent type."
She commented on his demeanor

Then she opened up a book of poems
She brought out a poetry book

And handed it to me
She gave it to him

Written by an Italian poet from the thirteenth century
It was by an Italian poet from the thirteenth century

And every one of them words rang true
The words were truthful

And flowed like burning coal
The words were powerful

Pouring off of every page like it was written in my soul
The words were resonating deeply with him

From me to you
He felt a connection between them

Tangled up in blue
He was still in the past

I lived with them on Montague Street
He lived with someone on Montague Street

A basement down the stairs
It was in a basement

There was music in the cafes at night
Music played in cafes at night

Revolution in the air
A revolutionary spirit prevailed

Then he started into dealing with slaves
Someone became involved in slavery

And something inside of him died
It killed them inside

I had to sell him everything I owned
He had to give up everything he owned

And froze up inside
He became frozen, could not go on

Later on on the bottom fell out
Later, everything fell apart

I became withdrawn
He retreated to himself

The only thing I knew how to do
He only knew how to move on

Was how to keep on keepin' on
Just keep going

Like a bird that flew
Like a bird that took flight

In blue
In a sad mood

So now I'm goin' back again
He's going back

I got to get to her somehow
He needs to find a way to get to her

All of these people I used to know
Everyone he knew previously

They're an illusion now
They don't actually exist anymore

Some are mathematicians
Some became mathematicians

Some are carpenters' wives
Some married carpenters

I don't know how they got started
He doesn't know their beginnings

I don't know what they're doing with their lives
He's not sure what they do now

But me, I'm still on the road
He's still traveling

Headin' for another joint
Heading for another place

We always did feel the same
They always had a connection

We just saw it from a different point
They had different perspectives

Of view
A way of looking at things

Tangled up in blue
Stuck in the past, in memories