Night Comes On

I went down to the place
Where I knew, she lay waiting
Under the marble and the snow

I said, "Mother I'm frightened
The thunder and the lightning
I'll never come through this alone"

She said, "I'll be with you
My shawl wrapped around you
My hand on your head when you go"

And the night came on, it was very calm
I wanted the night to go on and on
But she said, "Go back, go back to the world"

We were fighting in Egypt
When they signed this agreement
That nobody else had to die

There was this terrible sound
And my father went down
With a terrible wound in his side

He said, "Try to go on
Take my books, take my gun
And remember, my son, how they lied"

And the night comes on and it's very calm
I'd like to pretend that my father was wrong
But you don't want to lie, not to the young

We were locked in this kitchen
I took to religion
And wondered how long she would stay

I needed so much
To have nothing to touch
I've always been greedy that way

But my son and my daughter
Climbed out of the water
Crying papa, you promised to play

And they lead me away to the great surprise
It's papa, don't peek, papa, cover your eyes
And they hide, they hide in the World

Now I look for her always
I'm lost in this calling
I'm tied to the threads of some prayer

Saying, "When will she summon me?
When will she come to me?
What must I do to prepare?"

Then she bends to my longing
Like a willow, like a fountain
She stands in the luminous air

And the night comes on and it's very calm
I lie in her arms and says, "When I'm gone
I'll be yours, yours for a song"

Now the crickets are singing
The vesper bells ringing
The cat's curled asleep in his chair

I'll go down to Bill's Bar
I can make it that far
And I'll see if my friends are still there

And yes, here's to the few
Who forgive what you do
And the fewer who don't even care

And the night comes on and it's very calm
I want to cross over, I want to go home
And she says, "Go back, go back to the world"