Jack Hardy — Lyrics for Two of Swords

Copyright © 1991, 1992, 1998 Jack Hardy Music (BMI)

  1. Your Time Is Your Own
  2. Forget-Me-Not
  3. A Way
  4. Trees Bear Witness
  5. Fancy Free (The Two of Swords)
  6. Southwind
  7. All in Time
  8. Cross My Heart
  9. Sllver Penny
  10. The Blue Garden
  11. Countdown
  12. Blue on the Bottom
  13. Of All of the Sorrows (CD bonus track)
  14. Whose Fault (CD bonus track)

Your Time Is Your Own

your time is your own and your own is your time
and time is your only sorrow
the gift you give away today
returns tenfold tomorrow

with youth upon the green green fields
and age upon the hills-o
'tis vanity to name the trees
and claim more than your fill-o

with the blue of earth upon your bones
and your name upon the wind-o
to choose between the bread and stone
remains our only sin-o

and all i own is within a song
if written down would be wrong-o
without the sounds to make it strong
you think that life could be long-o

(repeat first verse)

Forget-Me-Not

and though you say that you'll be mine
i hear another voice in time
and that voice plays a bitter song
says i will stay but i won't stay long
but who's to say who's true and who is not
with eyes as blue as forget-me-nots

when first i held you to my breast
i would believe that east was west
i would believe that right was wrong
when first I heard your silken song
believe that false was true and cold was hot
with eyes as blue as forget-me-nots

and though you stayed when lilacs bloomed
within the waning april moon
and though you stayed 'till summer's end
there was no way to stay as friends
but who's to say this love was misbegot
with eyes as blue as forget-me-nots

and in the still light of the morn
you come to me in dreams forlorn
you come to me upon the wind
says those who stay are born to sin
and this I knew was true yet soon forgot
with eyes as blue as forget-me-nots

A Way

piece of stone
piece of loam
piece of foam from waves-o
living living
live and quick
to nick the prince of knaves-o
the blue-green eggs
lay in the nest
a nest of wattles made-o
two lay still
two hatched at will
and one had flown away-o

(chorus:)
fly away
where is away?
way beyond the dreams today
never wish
for what you wish
you just might wish away-o

riddle me this
riddle me that
a needle in the hay-o
the girl i love
in the window above
will you come out to play-o?
but while she watched
another hatched
and she began to cry-o
i've big strong wings
l've learned to sing
but i have not learned to fly-o

(repeat chorus)

jack be nimble
jack be quick
does anybody care-o?
jack be slow
and everyone knows
why johnny's too long at the fair-o
there's none who'll die
for a woman twice
and once is no proof of love-o
the blue-green eyes
lay in disguise
and life is long enough-o

(repeat chorus)

Trees Bear Witness

without a sound
the closing door
see you around
and say no more

(chorus:)
and if the trees could bear witness
to the sound of i love you
then this heart could ask forgiveness
for the sound of one heart breaking in two

and on the door
she left a note
seen it before
that's all she wrote

(repeat chorus)

the same old song
on the radio
he done her wrong
and she had to go

(repeat chorus)

a million ways
to say good-bye
but only one
way to cry

(repeat chorus)

Fancy Free (The Two of Swords)

(chorus:)
free free fancy free
who can be free enough
footloose and fancy free
to be the fool, the fool for love

one for the road, two for the show
three to get ready and go
follow your heart, here is a start
know you are meant to be free

(repeat chorus)

clothed in sky now you can fly
now you know why to be free
hoodman blind what can you find
facing your back to the sea?

(repeat chorus)

crescent moon caressing the tune
the islands left in the sea
right or wrong lay down your song
know you can follow me

(repeat chorus)

Southwind

gone is the four-leaf clover
the summer had arranged
that i would be forgotten
when autumn brought her rain
for the field is filled with clover
and time is filled with tears
and the fishes fill the oceans
that carry off the years

of all the summers washed away
that day i remember best:
you unhesitant and willing
in your dark and flowered dress
and you were with the warm south wind
that blew the curtains wild
but i was with the cold north wind
that scares the autumn child

for i was once a fisherman
my boat named for that day
her face was carved in oaken dreams
and thrust into the spray
and lady luck's for dreaming
deep in this land-locked main
though somewhere in those south sea isles
blows a hurricane

All in Time

all in time i crossed the river
was no bridge, there was no road
though the cold has made me shiver
whence it came and where it flowed

i have known you like this river
flooding tears the ebbs and flows
you the holder and the giver
carried me where'er it goes

(chorus:)
all in time will become this river
all in time will be broken
all in time the words we'll find
all in time will be spoken

i can neither walk on water
float like wood or sink like stone
i am somewhere in between 
the fatted calf, the marrow bone

tell me all your silent secrets
whisper as the morning dew
crystal drop which wets the petal
is but a small part of you

(repeat chorus)

i can neither cry nor whisper
bottled anger, anguished plea
could have been but lost and shattered
but you found and opened me

all in time these banks are changing
that try to hold this river in
life that dreams are rearranging
morning casts upon the wind

(repeat chorus)

Cross My Heart

(chorus:)
cross my heart and hope to die
if my heart should tell a lie
one little kiss (taste, bite) and my oh my
cross my heart and hope to die

in the summer of our discontent
made glorious in this town, new york
straight from the heart the double-cross
you get too smart and you pay the cost

ten little indians in a row
if one should die then who should know?
the great white father and the great white hope
the great white lie of the rodeo

(repeat chorus)

take this cup away from me
you indian-giver, johnny appleseed
there's too much truth for all to see
in little white lightning, in little ol' me

the snake that rings the apple tree
they'll name a county after me
and call it manifest destiny
you take manhattan, i'll take the beads

(repeat chorus)

Sllver Penny

softly, ever so softly
as you came into the room
came upon me a deeper feeling
that i could not place in tune
and all the walls they started reeling
that i tried to hold on to
softly melting my defenses
do not give your heart too soon

found a penny, silver penny
at the crossing of the street
where a child had stopped his playing
leaving life as incomplete
and so i tossed it in the air
to see if love was dark or fair
said the penny, silver penny
when you ask you never dare

softly, ever so softly
came the closing of the door
and the sound of cloth in falling
as it softly touched the floor
of all the answers and the questions
hung upon that silver moon
came the answer in reflection
you cannot give your heart too soon

The Blue Garden

because i love you
not just when you sing
the nightingale's sister
the moon's offspring
and i just a listener
lost in my room
the window left open
to hear your sweet tune
because i love you

because i love you
not just in my mind
outside was the garden
the garden was mine
and all of the flowers
were only one hue
when into the garden
the nightingale flew
because i love you

because i love you
and love you i will
the nightingale landed
on my windowsill
flaunting in freedom
and taunting in tune
i have only one question
one question of you:
why your flowers are blue

because i love you
when the summer was through
and the wildflowers made
the blue garden not blue
the window left open
left open too long
i was left with her song
alone and bemused
because i love you

Countdown

three days before the moon
i came warning you
it's not the phrase you turn
or the lines you learned to form in school
i know just what you think
i want to know what you feel
we can all agree, i think
that the sound of the heart is real

(chorus:)
came a warning...he shall turn
came a feeling...he shall yearn
came a messenger...he shall burn
who stole fire from the gods
he is yours

two days before the moon
twice i denied you
twice i spoke your name in vain
and tried to cover up the pain
i tore the page in two
the one where i told my fears
am i afraid of love
and what does that have to do with you?

(repeat chorus)

one day before the moon
nowhere to run or hide from you
what's that hanging up there
something to shoot or something to dare?
we can all agree to hear
anything we want to hear
not only the sound of the heart
but the flame that echoes off the moon

(repeat chorus)

Blue on the Bottom

look how the wick bends over
'neath the weight of the flame
blue on the bottom
and clear in the middle of the same
frames me in shadow
the hour is filled with the pain
though a friend gave me orders
not to utter that word again

the mouse comes on little cat feet
just to purloin a peek
at this curious creature
who sits on his bottom and weeps
could this be the friend
that i've waited for monsieur souris
yet he runs for his life
at the instant he hears me speak

(chorus:)
empty the table and empty the heart that i hold
promises broken and nothing has meaning, i'm told
empty the bottle that fills me with an entrance so bold
empty the promise that leaves me with have and to hold

the mouse comes at quarter past three
just to see what i've done
he leaves in the belly of the beast
just to pay for his crumb
i don't need him to tell me
it takes one to know one
i don't need him to tell me
that i haven't had any fun

the night is the prurient interest
of hours of light
blue on the bottom
and clear in the middle of flight
i have no hidden meanings
or ancient secrets of sight
nor answers to questions
that I ask myself tonight

(repeat chorus)

Of All of the Sorrows (CD bonus track)

of all of the sorrows these eyes have seen
she carries her burden as if in a dream
the laundry, the groceries she drags on the street
and waits for the day she dreads he might leave

she stares at the playground, no child of her own
the winter blows barren, the seeds have all flown
the candlestick maker is lost in his gloom
the tinker, the tailor, the dark side of the moon

of all of the sorrows this woman has seen
the blisters, the beggars, the brothers of dreams
her open umbrella to shield off the rain
her hand feels the longing, her feet feel the pain

she stares out the window, no warmth in her bed
she has bitten her fingernails down to the red
she cradles her vision and screams out of tune
the tinker, the tailor, the dark side of the moon

of all of the sorrows what's left but the bone
ashes to ashes, and feelings to stone
someday you'll learn to stand on your own
and when you do, i swear you won't stand alone

until then the madness will feed from your sins
tearing your heart, you tear all your friends
i cannot convince you it's never too soon
the tinker, the tailor, the dark side of the moon

of all of the sorrows these eyes have seen

Whose Fault (CD bonus track)

(chorus:)
whose fault? oh, none at all
or none that anyone can see
whose fault? go lay the blame
right beneath my feet

i gave her everything she could want
i gave her everything she needs
she wanted more than i could give
she wanted more than me

the dove is beauty, the wren is sweet
the thrush knows how to sing
you feed the birds all winter long
they fly away in spring

(repeat chorus)

so many miles these feet have trod
oh, so many miles
never in my wildest dreams
saw a girl who would not smile

so many years, so many years
living 'round these parts
never in my darkest days
found a woman without a heart

(repeat chorus)

so many books, open books
read between the lines
doesn't matter how hard you look
the truth you'll never find

the child knows hunger, the child knows fear
the child knows how to sing
but we grow old and we are told
to put away childish things

(repeat chorus)

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