Cosmia

lyrics as sung on Ys

When you ate,
I saw your eyelashes.
Saw them shake like
wind on rushes.

In the cornfield,
when she called me

Moths surround me.
Thought they’d drown me.

And I miss your precious heart.
And I miss your precious heart.

Dried rose petals —
redbrown circles —
frame your eyes and
stain your knuckles.

Dried rose petals —
redbrown circles —
frame your eyes and
stain your knuckles.

And all those lonely nights
down by the river,
brought me bread and water
(Water, in.);

But though I tried so hard,
my little darlin,
I couldn’t keep the night from coming in.

And all those lonely nights
down by the river,
brought me bread and water
by the kith and the kin;

Now in the quiet hour,
when I am sleeping,
I cannot keep the night from coming in.

Why’ve you gone away?
Gone away again?
I’ll sleep through the rest of my days,
if you’ve gone away again.
I’ll sleep through the rest of my days.
And I will sleep through the rest of my days.
And I'll sleep through the rest of my days.

Why’ve you gone away.
Seven suns, seven suns away, away.
Away, away.

Can you hear me? Will you listen?
Don’t come near me. Don’t go missing.
And in the lissome light of evening:
Help me, Cosmia; I’m grieving.

And all those lonely nights
down by the river,
Brought me bread and water
(Water, in.);

But though I tried so hard,
my little darlin,
I couldn’t keep the night from coming in.

And all those lonely nights
down by the river
brought me bread and water
in the kith and the kin;

Now in the quiet hour,
when I am sleeping,
I cannot keep the night from coming in.

*

Beneath the porch-light
we’ve all been circling.
Beat our dust hearts;
singe our flour wings.
But in the corner,
something is happening!
Wild Cosmia, what have you seen?

Water were your limbs,
and the fire was your hair —
and then the moonlight caught your eye,
and you rose through the air
well, if you’ve seen true light,
then this is my prayer:

will you call me, when you get there?

And I miss your precious heart;
And I miss your precious heart;
and miss, and miss, and miss,
& miss, & miss, &
miss, & miss, & miss your heart.

But release your precious heart,
to its feast, for precious hearts.

Notes

A moth of the genus Cosmia appears on the Ys album cover. According to an interview in Arthur Magazine, this song is about "the death of Newsom’s best friend".

Other versions