Al Stewart - A Long Way Down From Stephanie

Maid, truly I see now it must be a long way down


And with love's bud shorn


Now must all dalliance hither crumble and wither [1]


Oh strange, methought it strange


Thou couldst deprive me of my crown [2]


And my freedom that thou cast upon me as


Litter bears fruit of bitter strain [3]





And I would go forsooth to the dragon's tooth [4]


If thus a chance were gained


To resurrect that part of your wanton heart


To whose grave my own is chained





And hold, ere thou dost go


Were not thy moments gilded too


And in honesty didst thou not measure for measure


Countenance pleasure


Cold were't thou so cold


This in thy mind be frozen too





And will not Spring be reborn


But might the sun thaw the frost here


That all be not lost herein





And I would rather, Zounds! [5]


It were hell's own hounds


Whose foul breath upon my face


Did portent my doom, than to bear the gloom


Of a world stripped of thy grace





And so in truth I know


Yes it will be a long way down


And if go thou must, ere we should meet accidental


Prithee be gentle [6]


And though distant now


Perchance the hand of time may soothe


And though lost at six, if I should live to be seven [7]


I might forget Stephanie








Notes:





[1] Dalliance: staying around, wasting time


[2] The words 'thou' and 'thee' in this song are the equivalent of current French 'tu' and German 'du' - the familiar form of address which has now died out in English in favour of the universal 'you.'


[3]The album cover has 'litter' although 'linden' seems to be heard on the record. Linden is an old word a tree of family Tiliaceae, e.g. the lime or basswood, although 'litter' does rhyme with and contrast with 'bitter.'


[4] Forsooth: truly, or in truth (Old English)


[5] Zounds: "God's wounds!" - old expletive


[6] Prithee: pray thee = please.


[7] The payoff: at the end of the song we discover that this is a junior school romance...