Al Stewart - A Long Way Down From Stephanie lyrics

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...