Terrapin Station Suite
by Robert Hunter
Part One
Lady With A Fan
Terrapin Station
At A Siding
Part Two
Return To Terrapin
Ivory Wheels, Rosewood Track
And I Know You
Jack O' Roses
Leaving Terrapin
Recognition
*
Part One
*Lady With a Fan*Let my inspiration flow, in token rhyme suggesting rhythm
That will not forsake me, till my tale is told and done
While the fire lights aglow, strange shadows from the flames will grow
Till things we've never seen will seem familiar
Shadows of a sailor forming winds both foul and fair, all swarm
Down in Carlisle he loved a lady many years ago
Here beside him stands a man, a soldier by the looks of him,
Who came through many fights, but lost at love
While the story teller speaks, a door within the fire creaks,
Suddenly flies open, and a girl is standing there
Eyes alight, with glowing hair, all that fancy paints as fair
She takes her fan and throws it in the lion's den
Which of you to gain me, tell, will risk uncertain pains of hell?
I will not forgive you if you will not take the chance
The sailor gave at least a try; the soldier, being much too wise,
Strategy was his strength, and not disaster
The sailor, coming out again, the lady fairly leapt at him
That's how it stands today. You decide if he was wise
The story teller makes no choice, soon you will not hear his voice
His job is to shed light, and not to master
Since the end is never told we paid the teller off in gold
In hopes he will come back, but he cannot be bought or sold
*Terrapin Station*
Inspiration, move me brightly
Light the song with sense of colour
Hold away despair
More than this I will not ask
Faced with mysteries deep and vast
Statements just seem vain at last
Some rise, some fall, some climb
Some rise, some climb, some crawl
To get to Terrapin
Counting stars by candlelight
Some are dim but one is bright
The spiral light on Venus
Rising first and shining best
Oh, from the north-west corner
Of a brand new crescent moon
Where crickets and cicadas sing
A rare and different tune
Terrapin Station
In the shadow of the moon
Terrapin Station
And I know we'll be there soon
(Terrapin)
I can't figure out
(Terrapin)
If it's the end or beginning
(Terrapin)
But the train's put it brakes on
(Terrapin)
And the whistle is screaming
Terrapin
*At a Siding*
While you were gone
These faces filled with darkness
The obvious was hidden
With nothing to believe in
The compass always points to Terrapin
Sullen wings of fortune beat like rain
You're back in Terrapin for good or ill again
For good or ill again
Part Two
*Return to Terrapin*Up these steps beside me climb
To Terrapin and points sublime
Robbed of reason, faith and name
Broken-hearted blind and lame
Slain by doubt, mistaken trust
Abandoned in the rain to rust
Shriveled by the heat of day
Torn to shreds by birds of prey
Shapeless in the fire's glow
Tell me if you think you know
Who it was we were below
Where we've been and where we go
Lilies have the bees to tend them
Grasses have the breeze to bend them
Broken hearts have tears to mend them
Show us stairs, we will ascend them
Stair by stair by stair we climb
Voices hushed to sighs by time
Speak our souls in pantomime
Clear cold bells of winter chime
Pale through this ghostly haze
The dawn of a newborn moon
Illuminates this ancient maze
Of tumbled stones rough hewn
Trust your faith and enter
By paths the heart divines
The sun lies at the center
Through gates of creeping vines
how faint the rays
of former days
in avenues of time--
but it does shine
emblem of sight
pride of the eyes
that shatters shadow
and all of the dark defies
Let the sun rise!
(Hunter's First Version of "Return to Terrapin")
*Ivory Wheels, Rosewood Track*Ivory wheels on a rosewood track
Take us back again and again to Terrapin
Smokestack thunder - pay the ticket price
Clock in the sky says quarter to twice - we roll again
Hello, good soldier, where you been?
Did you take the wrong round to get to Terrapin?
Some for reasons great or small
Rise, climb, fall, to get to Terrapin
The demon's daughter used to lay for gin
In a shack way back on the skirts of the fens of Terrapin
The demon himself got drunk all night
Collapsed at the sunrise service - he was very tight
Captain Billy Lyon from Louisiana low
Used to chase a bayou girl through here named Peggy-o
Some say he died of love for Peggy-o
Others say it was the devil himself laid Billy low
Some for reasons known but to them
Rise, climb, fall, to get to Terrapin
One-eyed sailor with a Cheshire grin
That must be the Jack O'Roses bound for Terrapin
Chasing that lady-o through the bayou
Swore to God in lightning storm he'd catch her, too
Fortune dealt him such a straight high hand
He saw no reason not to trust it more, and retrieved her fan
The lions looked up in surprise
But they backed right off when they saw the madness in his eyes
Venus rises from the sea
On the back of a mighty Terrapin with a coral fan
Throws that fan to the diamond beach
Always a little out of reach - but try again
Some for reasons great or small
Rise, climb, fall, to get to Terrapin
*And I Know You*
Endless recognitions pour
like honey from a honey jar
Lights from near and distant stars
come streaming through the door
Tonight I do not know my face
from one who looks the same
by flicker of unburning flame
inside this old familiar place
Fortune sweet and bitter fate
converse beside the open fire
removed from weavings of desire,
twisted skeins of love and hate
And I know you
Yes I do
I know you--
And you know me--
I could swear
you know me too
We have been together
since the first-born seed of light
reflected on the water
and divided day from night
Sometimes we were strangers
Sometimes we were friends
Dreamed up lives of danger
Broke hearts and made amends
It's time to leave fair Terrapin
Head down the stairs again
Step by step return below
Fill the blanks in as we go
Find out what we need to know;
from gossip if it must be so
Forsake this cool and kindly light
for troubled day and sleepless night
Or shall I go while you remain;
search below for you in vain
find you here from time to time,
elusive subject of a rhyme?
Or would you rather go alone
in unfamiliar flesh and bone,
meet and put me to the test,
a scarlet flower at your breast?
I don't know how we chose before,
for love or sorrow, peace or war
but where our paths unite the two
you always know me
yes you do - and know that I know you
(Hunter's First Version of "And I Know You")
*Jack O'Roses*What makes your sweet breast heave, my dear
your bright eyes fill with tears?
Did Jack O' Roses leave you here
those seven lonely years?
Had you fear he might be dead
unwept in some far land?
Or worse that love itself had fled
betrayed both heart and hand?
Jack O' Roses with a fan
East of Eden turned
built his castles in the sand
and all their bridges burned
Wait for him
Don't take no other
no demon lover
who'll be gone at dawn
Did you throw your fan
too far this time?
Well, well, well ...
from the lion's den
to the morning star
to the gates of Hell!
The morning star rose into hell
three days to shine on Moses
and from his solitary cell
to free the Jack O' Roses
He sprang to saddle like wind, I allow
for bridle strains of lightning
Ride, ride, ride, though tempest howl
cruelly and most frightening
For at the dawn fair Terrapin
arose like revelation
The morning star reflected in
the windows of Terrapin Station
Terrapin
If anyone should ask of you who made this song
say the Jack O' Roses and all who played along
who rise, climb, fall to win
Terrapin
What have we to lose from love
except what lacks foundation
Words can only carve the space
we fill with expectation
The lion's den lies far behind
in visions of the damned
Jack O' Roses one more time
My lady, here's your fan
Terrapin
let me rise, let me fall, let me climb, let me crawl
but let me in
Accept this fan as a token of what I meant to do
for I really do love you
*Leaving Terrapin*
The lion's den lies far behind
in visions of the damned
Jack O' Roses one more time
My lady, here's your fan
Terrapin
let me rise, let me fall, let me climb, let me crawl
but let me in
Accept this fan as a token of what I meant to do
for I really do love you
*Recognition*
Raise the drinking horn again
Let laughter fill the hall
The storyteller has returned
from other ports of call
He seems to be a younger man
than when he went away-
though you and I, my own true love,
have lived to show our day
Still you seem a stranger
in the flesh of someone dear
While the storyteller speaks
I feel your darkness stir
I see the shadows on the wall
take color, depth and form
I see a lion's den await
three riders in the storm
I see you fall upon the ground
for space of half an hour
Then I see you rise again
cloaked in earthly power
I see myself approach the den
to work your fateful will
Terrapin shines in the west
The anxious wind grows still
Did I make the proper choice?
The storyteller winks
Even though I hear his voice
I can't tell what he thinks
Hand in hand we leave the fire
the storytelling done;
pinch the candle and retire
tonight our dreams are one
Counting stars by candlelight
all are dim but one is bright:
the spiral light of Venus
rising first and shining best
from the northwest corner
of a brand new crescent moon
while crickets and cicadas sing
a rare and different tune
Terrapin Station
*Return to Terrapin - the first version*
Up these steps beside me climb
to Terrapin and points sublime
Bereft of reason, faith and name
broken-hearted, blind, and lame
Slain by doubt, mistaken trust
Abandoned in the rain to rust
Torn to shreds by birds of prey
Hostage to another day
Walk with me, talk with me
Tell me where we mean to go
and where we've been--
Crickets can say it and the wind:
Terrapin...
Trees in fields
have the bees to tend them
Lillies have the wind
to bend them
Things have only
names we lend them
To the death
We will defend them
This light, so hazy--
cast by a new moon
through dense thought
to an ancient tune--
how pale the rays
as the light fades
through forest creepers
and clinging vines
but it does shine
signature of the sun
cut in a thin slice
a mere token of light
but it does shine--
failing only to be bright
emblem of something
that shatters shadow
and all the dark defies...
Let the sun rise!
A long line to ride
A long black train
on a spiralling track
takes us back to Terrapin
*And I Know You - the first version*
Tonight I do not know my face
from one who looks the same
Am I late? Did we travel far?
Endless recognitions pour
like honey from a honey jar
turns and twists of love and hate
each one becomes the other
And I know you
and I know you know me, too
Yes, you do, you know me
I could almost swear you do
Let's get out of Terrapin Station
Symbol of our separation
Find out what we need to know
from gossip if it must be so--
Fill the blanks in as we go
I know you
Somehow I know you
Do we go together or leave alone
with brand new shapes or broken bones?
I don't know how we chose before
but I could go with you
through that station door--
because I know you
and I know that you know me, too
*
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