Darling black-hearted boy,

all the color's gone out of my ribbon loom

as I've only got the worst to assume.

Take your sheet metal sheers;

cut a slit up the the side of my dark blue dress;

for a last time lie your love confess.


Get your gut,

some home made twine-

string up silk your tiger bow.

Don't paint your board

moonlight white-

go dangle your fishhook out in the gutter again.


You swore you swore you'd never leave

you swore you swore you'd never leave

you swore you swore you'd never leave and now you're gone and

now I'm-


See the smoke from your kiln-

pine boughs burn the bricks dead hard in their fog

as I stand cold with my back broke by the bog.

Find your cross cut saw-

come blunt and jagged dry and try

cut my tongue out to keep on your wall up high.


I tipped my toe

on the bamboo strip;

I took stone honey in exchange for my rags.

Don't dare paint your board

moonlight white-

go dangle your fishhook out in the gutter again.


You swore you swore you'd never leave

you swore you swore you'd never leave

you swore you swore you'd never leave and now you're gone and

now I'm-


Darling black hearted boy,

I went down to wash my robe in the river;

I thought of you and started to shake and to shiver.

Leaning there on the rocks.

I see myself slip down and float

'til the brackish warm current stops up my throat.


You swore you swore you'd never leave

You swore you swore you'd never leave

You swore you swore you'd never leave