Song Description

In the spirit of "Boots of Spanish Leather", this haunted folk ballad invokes ships, ports, lovers, the circus, fortune tellers, crystal balls and Spanish forts.

Lyrics

When I first took myself down to the sea
I asked myself, I asked myself
As we pulled out of port
I asked myself, asked myself
As we looked back to the shore
Could it be, is this the life for me?

I saw the circus before it went
I got lost in thoughts by the candy floss
And the fortune teller's tent
I stepped through the crack, he was wearing black
And I asked with grave intent
Can you see what this life holds for me?

He looked into his crystal ball
There a picture grew, it was back when you
First cast your magic spell
It was burning red when he turned his head
And he closed his eyes to tell
Could there be a life for you and me?

Then somehow you came into the room
I put on my coat and put out my smoke
And put up some kind of fight
You put down your hair and pulled up a chair
And your eyes were shining bright
Can't you see, you're big as life to me?

Now not all that many years ago
When I was a girl back in Somerville
You know I had these feelings then
And though I traveled far, and I paddled hard
They live in me again
Could it be, is this the life for me?

When I next took myself down to the sea
I walked the coast and I talked to ghosts
Near a broke-down Spanish fort
Then I climbed inside and I testified
Before a most angelic court
The pounding sea spoke that day to me
The pounding sea sang that day to me

When I first took myself down to the sea
I asked myself, I asked myself
As we pulled out of port
I asked myself, asked myself
As we looked back to the shore
Could it be, is this the life for me?
Can't you see, you're big as life to me?