Joan Baez - Gulf Winds Lyrics

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It's only when the high winds blow that I wish my hair was long 
Sailing through the autumn leaves singing an ancient song 
Or falling in love in the streets at night at the edge of a local square 
It's only that I'm here tonight thinking I was there 

There are high winds on the pier tonight, my soul departs from me 
Striding like Thalia's ghost south on the murky sea 
And into midnight's tapestry she fades, ragged and wild 
Searching down her ancestry in the costume of a Persian child 

And gulf winds bring me flying fish that shine in the crescent moon 
Show me the horizon where the dawn will break anew 
And cool me here on this lonely pier where the heron are flying low 
Echo the songs my father knew in the towns of Mexico 

When I was young my eyes were wise, my father was good to me 
Instead of having a flock of sons he had two other girls and me 
And if we had used our Spanish names, here's the way they'd run 
Thalia, Margarita and Juanita, I'm the middle one. 

The screen door kept the demons in as we moved from town to town 
It's hard to be a princess in the States when your skin is brown 
And mama smoothed my worried brow as I leaned on the kitchen door 
Why do you carry the weight, she said, of the world and maybe more? 

And gulf winds bring me flying fish that shine in the crescent moon 
Show me the horizon where the dawn will break anew 
And cool me here on this lonely pier where the heron are flying low 
Echo the songs my father knew in the towns of Mexico 

My grandfathers were ministers and it came on down the line 
My father preached in his parents' church when he was ten years and nine 
And mama dressed in parishoners' clothes and didn't believe in hell 
Her daddy fought the DAR, if he'd lived I'd have known him well 

They said go find a Sunday School, we must have tried them all 
I never stole from the silver plate, my sisters had more gall 
One preacher said sing out loud and clear, it's the only life you've got 
And the next one said be good on earth, you've another life at the feet of God 

And gulf winds bring me flying fish that shine in the crescent moon 
Show me the horizon where the dawn will break anew 
And cool me here on this lonely pier where the heron are flying low 
Echo the songs my father knew in the towns of Mexico 

My father turned down many a job just to give us something real 
It's hard to be a scientist in the States when you've got ideals 
And mama kept the budget book, she kept the garden, too 
Bought fish from the man on Thursday, fed all of us and strangers, too 

But time will pass and so, alas, will most of what we know 
Though tonight my memory's eye is clear as the story's being told 
And I'll play ball with the underdog and sit with the child who's wrong 
Be still when the earth is silent and sing when my strength is gone 

And gulf winds bring me flying fish that shine in the crescent moon 
Show me the horizon where the dawn will break anew 
And cool me here on this lonely pier where the heron are flying low 
Echo the songs my father knew in the towns of Mexico 

Now father's going to India sometime in the fall 
They tried to stay together but you just can't do it all 
I'll think about him if he goes, there's a little grey in his hair 
Though not much because he's Mexican, they don't age, they just prepare 

And if he goes to India I'll miss him most of all 
He'll see me in the mudlarks' face, hear me in the beggar's call 
And mama will stay home, I guess, and worry if she did wrong 
And I'll say a prayer for both of them and sing them both my song 

And gulf winds bring me flying fish that shine in the crescent moon 
Show me the horizon where the dawn will break anew 
And cool me here on this lonely pier where the heron are flying low 
Echo the songs my father knew in the towns of Mexico

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lyrics submitted by Alex