The Incredible String Band: White Bird

Who among you has not laid his head
beneath some holy awning
Would think that such a night of tortured travelling
Could bring such a glory morning
And feel his heart sucked to his head
His head so wide that all life says
Has room to live and breathe and have its being - and more
For such a scene of beauty
For such a scene of beauty
encompasses

See the white bird on the water
In beauty calm and still

White bird, white bird, white bird
Of the morning
White bird, white bird,

White bird, white bird, white bird
Of the morning
White bird, white bird,

See he watches the white bird
of the morning
White bird, white bird,

See he watches the white bird
of the morning
White bird, white bird,

Warm in his ecstasy
A shimmering gentle backward fall
He leaves his body there so small and mirror black against the sun
With deities for strength
He sees his body wracked with pain
And hears his voice so stained with sadness deep
It asks the day to weep away

Loved her so strong now
She is gone
My heart will break for ever

Sun and moon change around
Me the games seem so strange

Walk in the light
I shall never
Walk in the light
I will never
White bird, white bird, white bird
Of the morning
White bird, white bird,

White bird, white bird, white bird
Of the morning
White bird, white bird,

White bird, white bird, white bird
Of the morning
White bird, white bird,

White bird, white bird, white bird
Of the morning
White bird, white bird,


Speak to me with your beauty
oh white bird of the morning
Oh he cried Oh he cried
But stopped
short
Seeing not water but ice
death not life
dead white bird dead white bird


Walking onward every day
Sunshine in our faces

Sun knows what goes on below
But still our faces graces
No disgraces
No distastes
Nothing wasted at all

White bird, white bird, white bird
Of the morning
White bird, white bird