Mary on a Wave [Washington, DC] Songtext
von Okkervil River

Cold black virgin spinning above an open ocean
I feel, I hear, I need, I know
Seven sailors swimming shipwrecked, seven smudgy mirrors
You gotta let them go
Well I checked out the rotor plates
Saw the babies all bathed in champagne
So many miles of dirt I traveled just to park you in your shade

Born away on a wave, love
Born away on a wave

Well they picked poor Robin clean in the shadow ravine
I′ve seen the bowls, I've seen his teeth
Words scrawled upon the streets are enemies, victory is complete
And they′ll be coming to collect within the next few hundred weeks
I get a little soft shiver in my shoulder
'Cause I think there's someone watching
I get a little soft whistle in my ears now
But I guess it′s just time passing


Born away on a wave, love
Born away on a wave

Blessed blue-black virgins shifting, in the oceans living
Partly living tissue, partly always hating
Give me strength and vision, watch over the earth it′s listing
Lady, like it's almost broken, all my eyes now closed, not open
Our parents are fading out, fading out, fading out
Into the fuzzy fuzz

I can′t, I gasp, I gasp and pale
I can't, I can′t, I can't get enough air into my lungs
I see the bald head of a vulture
Come cresting up the stairs
Time holds my greenish brown and dying in a studio somewhere

Born away on a wave, love
And it′s all for you girl
Born away on a wave
La la la la la la, la la la la la la la, la la la la la la la
La la la la la la, la la la la la la la, la la la la la la la
La la la la la la, la la la la la la la, la la la la la la la
La la la la la la, la la la la la la la, la la la la la la la