Al Stewart - Swiss Cottage Maneuvers

Al Stewart - Swiss Cottage Maneuvers



On a Christmas cake day one Friday in August


In a book shop in Charing Cross Road


I first set eyes on a girl and at once I didn't know



She had eyes like a poet and hair like a rainbow


Reflecting the lights that did glow


And the sadness she kept in her eyes


Struck my senses a blow


And so as by chance at the touch of a glance


We could find ourselves out in the road


With no crush of time to defeat us and no place to go



And I couldn't say how but the coffee bar crowd


Had appeared through the silence that broke


And she said "Oh my father's a judge in St Albans you know."


Oh well, then perhaps I could help you


You know that St. Albans is miles away


And I've got a room in Swiss Cottage in which you could stay


She laughed "Oh I couldn't do that, for I've got to be up in the


morning you see."


So I rang up to find out the first morning train she could take.



And so in the gloom of a candlelit room


With spaghetti, two forks and plate


She said "Oh I really would like to be free and escape."


Oh well if it's like that, you don't have to go back


and you're perfectly welcome to stay


"But I've not finished school yet." she said as she got into bed



And so as she slept and the pure morning crept through the windows


to take her away


I thought you can't make people be what you want them to be


I could see my self nailed to a dormitory tale of a holiday night's


escapade


And just yesterday she had seemed like a woman to me


and so like a child with the sleep in her eyes


Where the sadness of age had once been


She left on the train with a "See you again" and a smile


And I couldn't say what I had won or I lost


Or even just what I had seen


But when I'm alone I just think of her once in awhile.