Sad Stephen's Song

And there were mermaids, weren't there?

Sweet, silver mermaids

All through that gray

Trafalgar square

Such silver mermaids

And they were young and they were fair

They brushed their bronze and dusky hair

And whispered, "Come, sad StephenCome and play here""You will love, you will be lovedYou will grow up and do so muchYou will be strong, you will be sungBy all the mermaids, silver mermaids"

And once they'd sung their satin song

They beckoned to me from the fog

They spread their arms and lifted

Pale portrait faces,

I was taken

To their coral cavern halls

To rooms with oyster shells for walls

To sandy nooks, pearly books and ivory dolls

In ivory stalls, in ivory stalls

And there were mermaids, weren't there?

Sweet, silver mermaids

All through that wan, forgotten square

Silver mermaids

They were young and they were fair

And they brushed their bronze and dusky hair

And whispered, "Come, sad Stephen, come"

And I was taken

Was I wrong?

Should I have run?

I wanted all,

I wanted young

And portrait faces,

I was taken

Did I love?

I didn't care

Did I grow up?

Well, unaware

And was I strong?

And was I sung?

How do I haunt

Trafalgar fog?

And find I want so much, still want

And no more mermaids

No more mermaids

And no more mermaids