I heard it in the wind last night

 

It sounded like applause

 

Did you get a round

Resounding for you

Way up here

 

It seems like many dim years ago

 

Since I heard that face to face

Or seen you face to face

Though tonight I can feel you here

 

I get these notes

On butterflies and lilac sprays

From girls who just have to tell me

 

They saw you somewhere

 

In some office sits a poet

 

And he trembles as he sings

And he asks some guy

To circulate his soul around

 

On your mark red ribbon runner

 

The caressing rev of motors

Finely tuned like fancy women

In thirties evening gowns

 

Up the charts

Off to the airport

Your names in the news

Everythings first class

 

The lights go down

And it's just you up there

 

Getting them to feel like that

 

Remember the days

When you used to sit

And make up your tunes for love

And pour your simple sorrow

To the soundhole and your knee

 

And now you're seen

On giant screens

 

And at parties for the press

 

And for people

Who have slices of you

From the company

 

They toss around

Your latest golden egg

 

Speculation-well

 

Who's to know

 

If the next one in the nest

 

Will glitter for them so

 

I guess I seem ungrateful

 

With my teeth sunk in the hand

 

That brings me things

I really can't give up just yet

 

Now I sit up here

The critic

 

And they introduce some band

 

But they seem so much confetti

Looking at them on my tv set

 

Oh the power and the glory

 

Just when you're getting a taste

For worship

They start bringing out the hammers

 

And the boards

And the nails

 

I heard it in the wind last night

 

It sounded like applause

 

Chilly now

End of summer

No more shiny hot nights

 

It was just the arbutus rustling

 

And the bumping of the logs

 

And the moon

Swept down black water

 

Like an empty spotlight