A Stone Songtext
von Okkervil River

Hot breath
Rough skin
Warm laughs & smiling
The loveliest words

Whispered & meant
You like all these things
But though you like all these things
You love a stone

You love a stone
Because it′s smooth

& it's cold
& you′d love most to be told
That it's all your own
You love white veins

You love hard grey
The heaviest weight
The clumsiest shape
The earthiest smell


The hollowest tone
You love a stone
& I'm found too fast
Called too fond of flames

Then I′m phoning my friends
Then I′m shouldering the blame

While you're picking pebbles out of the drain
Miles ago
& you′re out singing songs
& I'm down shouting names at the flickerless screen

Going fucking insane
Am I losing my cool

Overstating my case
Well, baby, what can I say?
You know I never claimed
That I was a stone

& you love a stone
You love white veins
You love hard grey
The heaviest weight


The clumsiest shape
The earthiest smell
The hollowest tone
You love a stone
You love a stone
Because it′s dark
& it's old
& if it could start
Being alive, you′d stop living alone
& I think I believe
That if stones could dream
They'd dream of being laid side-by-side, piece-by-piece
& turned into a castle
For some towering queen
They're unable to know
& when that queen′s daughter came of age
Well, I think she′d be lovely & stubborn & brave
& suitors would journey from kingdoms away
Just to make themselves known
& I think that I know
The bitter dismay
Of a lover who brought fresh bouquets everyday
When she turned him away
To remember some knave
Who once gave just one rose
One day
Years ago