C             Bb      C 
And what do you remember most? 
    Gm          F      Dm         Eb 
The line of the sea, seceding the coast? 
Fm       Eb        Bb          Ab 
Fine capillaries, glowing with cars? 
F                 Eb           Bb          F 
The comfort you drew from the light of the stars? 

         C            Bb         C 
And how long did you climb that night, 
         Gm          F             Dm           Eb 
with the ice in your lungs, on the rungs of the light? 
Fm       Eb        Bb          Ab 
Beyond recall, you severed all strings 
   F      Eb     Bb      F 
to everyone, and everything. 

     Cm              Fm        Cm 
Oh, silent, constant driver of mine: 
Bb         C                Eb         Bb 
wordlessly calling from the end of the line, 
       Eb               Gm          Ab                   F 
where, even though each hour I ever loved must queue and dive, still,  
Cm           Bb      Ab     Cm 
you will not take my heart alive. 

    C                   Bb      C 
In martial wind, and in clarion rain,  
    Gm         F       Dm         Eb 
we minced into battle, wincing in pain;  
Fm             Eb      Bb             Ab 
not meant for walking, backs bound in twine: 
     F       Eb         Bb        F 
not angel or devil, but level, in time. 

       C               Bb       C 
And I rose, to take my shape at last, 
         Gm              F          Dm            Eb 
from the dreams that had dogged me, through every past, 
Fm          Eb        Bb         Ab 
when, to my soul, the body would say 
        F           Eb       Bb           F  
You may do what you like, as long as you stay. 

        Cm                 Fm           Cm 
Now the towns and forests, highways and plains, 
Bb           C               Eb       Bb 
fall back in circles like an emptying drain. 
      Eb                     Gm                  Ab            F 
And I won't come round this way again, where the lonely wind abides, 
    Cm           Bb      Ab     Cm 
and you will not take my heart, alive.