Where monkey and bear usually lay
They woke from a stable-boy’s cry
He said: “someone come quick —
The horses got loose, got grass-sick —
They’ll founder! Fain, they’ll die.”
What is now known by the sorrel and the roan?
By the chestnut, and the bay, and the gelding grey?
It is: stay by the gate you are given
Remain in your place, for your season
O, had the overfed dead but listened
To that high-fence, horse-sense, wisdom…
But
“Did you hear that, Bear?” said
Monkey, “we’ll get out of here, fair and square
They've left the gate open wide!
“So, my bride
“Here is my hand. Where is your paw?
Try and understand my plan, Ursula
My heart is a furnace
Full of love that is just, and earnest
Now
We know that we must unlearn this
Allegiance to a life of service
And no longer answer to that heartless
Hay-monger, nor be his accomplice —
(that charlatan, with artless hustling!)
But Ursula, we’ve got to eat something
And earn our keep, while still within
The borders of the land that man has girded
(all double-bolted and tightfisted!)
Until we reach the open country
A-steeped in milk and honey
Will you keep your fancy clothes on, for me?
Can you bear a little longer to wear that leash?
“My love, I swear by the air I breathe:
Sooner or later, you’ll bare your teeth
“But for now, just dance, darling
C’mon, will you dance, my darling?
Darling, there’s a place for us;
Can we go, before I turn to dust?
Darling there’s a place for us
“Darling. C'mon will you dance
My darling?
The hills are groaning with excess
Like a table ceaselessly being set
C'mon, will you dance, my darling?
And we’ll get there yet.”
They trooped past the guards
Past the coops, and the fields, and the
Farmyards, all night, till finally
The space they gained
Grew much farther than
The stone that Bear threw
To mark where they’d stop for tea
But
“Walk a little faster
Don’t look backwards —
“your feast is to the East, which lies a little past the pasture
“When the blackbirds hear tea whistling they rise and clap
Their applause caws the kettle black
And we can’t have none of that!
Move along, Bear; there, there; that’s that.”
(Though cast in plaster
Our Ursala’s heart beat faster
Than monkey’s ever will.)
But still
They have got to pay the bills
Hadn’t they?
That is what the monkey would say
So, with the courage of a clown, or a cur
Or a kite, jerking tight at its tether
In her dun-brown gown of fur
And her jerkin of
Swansdown and leather
Bear would sway on her hind legs;
The organ would grind dregs of song
For the pleasure
Of the children who’d shriek
Throwing coins at her feet
Then recoiling in terror
Sing, “dance, darling
C'mon, will you dance, my darling?
Darling, there’s a place for us;
Can we go, before I turn to dust?
Darling there’s a place for us
“Darling
C'mon, will you dance, my darling?
Keep your eyes fixed on the highest hill
Where you’ll ever-after eat your fill
O darling…dear…mine…if you dance
Darling: I will love you still.”
Deep in the night
Shone a weak and miserly light
Where the monkey shouldered his lamp
Someone had told him the
Bear'd been wandering a fair piece away
From where they were camped
Someone had told him
The bear had been sneaking away
To the seaside caverns, to bathe;
And the thought troubled the monkey
For he was afraid of spelunking
Down in those caves
And also afraid what the
Village people would say
If they saw the bear in that state —
Lolling and splashing obscenely
Well, it seemed irrational, really
Washing that face;
Washing that matted and flea-bit pelt
In some sea-spit-shine —
Old kelp dripping with brine
But monkey just laughed, and he muttered
“When she comes back, Ursula will be bursting with pride —
Till I jump up!
Saying, ‘You've been rolling in muck!
Saying, ‘You smell of garbage and grime!’”
But far out
Far out
By now
By now —
Far out, by now, Bear ploughed
Because she would
Not drown:
First the outside-legs of the bear
Up and fell down, in the water, like knobby garters
Then the outside-arms of the bear
Fell off, as easy as if sloughed
From boiled tomatoes
Low’red in a genteel curtsy
Bear shed the mantle of her
Diluvian shoulders;
And, with a sigh
She allowed the burden of belly to drop
Like an apron full of boulders
If you could hold up her
Threadbare coat to the light
Where it’s worn translucent in places
You’d see spots where
Almost every night of the year
Bear had been mending
Suspending that baseness
Now her coat drags through the water
Bagging, with a life’s-worth of hunger
Limitless minnows;
In the magnetic embrace
Balletic and glacial
Of bear’s insatiable shadow —
Left there!
Left there!
When bear
Left bear;
Left there
Left there
When bear
Stepped clear of bear
(Sooner or later you'll bury your teeth)
Down in the green hay Where monkey and bear usually lay They woke from a stable-boy’s cry He said: “someone come quick — The horses got loose, got grass-sick — They’ll founder! Fain, they’ll die.” What is now known by the sorrel and the roan? By the chestnut, and the bay, and the gelding grey? It is: stay by the gate you are given Remain in your place, for your season O, had the overfed dead but listened To that high-fence, horse-sense, wisdom… But “Did you hear that, Bear?” said Monkey, “we’ll get out of here, fair and square They've left the gate open wide! “So, my bride “Here is my hand. Where is your paw? Try and understand my plan, Ursula My heart is a furnace Full of love that is just, and earnest Now We know that we must unlearn this Allegiance to a life of service And no longer answer to that heartless Hay-monger, nor be his accomplice — (that charlatan, with artless hustling!) But Ursula, we’ve got to eat something And earn our keep, while still within The borders of the land that man has girded (all double-bolted and tightfisted!) Until we reach the open country A-steeped in milk and honey Will you keep your fancy clothes on, for me? Can you bear a little longer to wear that leash? “My love, I swear by the air I breathe: Sooner or later, you’ll bare your teeth “But for now, just dance, darling C’mon, will you dance, my darling? Darling, there’s a place for us; Can we go, before I turn to dust? Darling there’s a place for us “Darling. C'mon will you dance My darling? The hills are groaning with excess Like a table ceaselessly being set C'mon, will you dance, my darling? And we’ll get there yet.” They trooped past the guards Past the coops, and the fields, and the Farmyards, all night, till finally The space they gained Grew much farther than The stone that Bear threw To mark where they’d stop for tea But “Walk a little faster Don’t look backwards — “your feast is to the East, which lies a little past the pasture “When the blackbirds hear tea whistling they rise and clap Their applause caws the kettle black And we can’t have none of that! Move along, Bear; there, there; that’s that.” (Though cast in plaster Our Ursala’s heart beat faster Than monkey’s ever will.) But still They have got to pay the bills Hadn’t they? That is what the monkey would say So, with the courage of a clown, or a cur Or a kite, jerking tight at its tether In her dun-brown gown of fur And her jerkin of Swansdown and leather Bear would sway on her hind legs; The organ would grind dregs of song For the pleasure Of the children who’d shriek Throwing coins at her feet Then recoiling in terror Sing, “dance, darling C'mon, will you dance, my darling? Darling, there’s a place for us; Can we go, before I turn to dust? Darling there’s a place for us “Darling C'mon, will you dance, my darling? Keep your eyes fixed on the highest hill Where you’ll ever-after eat your fill O darling…dear…mine…if you dance Darling: I will love you still.” Deep in the night Shone a weak and miserly light Where the monkey shouldered his lamp Someone had told him the Bear'd been wandering a fair piece away From where they were camped Someone had told him The bear had been sneaking away To the seaside caverns, to bathe; And the thought troubled the monkey For he was afraid of spelunking Down in those caves And also afraid what the Village people would say If they saw the bear in that state — Lolling and splashing obscenely Well, it seemed irrational, really Washing that face; Washing that matted and flea-bit pelt In some sea-spit-shine — Old kelp dripping with brine But monkey just laughed, and he muttered “When she comes back, Ursula will be bursting with pride — Till I jump up! Saying, ‘You've been rolling in muck! Saying, ‘You smell of garbage and grime!’” But far out Far out By now By now — Far out, by now, Bear ploughed Because she would Not drown: First the outside-legs of the bear Up and fell down, in the water, like knobby garters Then the outside-arms of the bear Fell off, as easy as if sloughed From boiled tomatoes Low’red in a genteel curtsy Bear shed the mantle of her Diluvian shoulders; And, with a sigh She allowed the burden of belly to drop Like an apron full of boulders If you could hold up her Threadbare coat to the light Where it’s worn translucent in places You’d see spots where Almost every night of the year Bear had been mending Suspending that baseness Now her coat drags through the water Bagging, with a life’s-worth of hunger Limitless minnows; In the magnetic embrace Balletic and glacial Of bear’s insatiable shadow — Left there! Left there! When bear Left bear; Left there Left there When bear Stepped clear of bear (Sooner or later you'll bury your teeth) Explain Request ×
Lyrics taken from
/lyrics/j/joanna_newsom/monkey_bear.html
