Have One On Me - Joanna Newsom

From the courtyard, I floated in

And watched it go down

Heard the cup drop;

Thought, «Well

That’s why they keep them around.»

The blackguard sat hard, down

With no head on him now

And I felt so bad

Cause I didn’t know how

To feel bad enough

To make him proud

By the time you read this

I will be so far away

Daddy longlegs, how in the world

Am I to be expected to stay?

In the night--

In the night, you may hear me call

Pa, stay your hand

And steel your resolve

Stay where you are

So long and tall

Here’s Lola--ta da!--to do

Her famous Spider Dance for you!

Lighten up your pockets!

Shake her skirts and scatter, there

A shrieking, six-legged millionaire

With a blight in his sockets

Miss Montez

The Countess of Lansfeld

Appealed to the King of Bavaria

Saying, «Pretty papa

If you are my friend--

Mister daddy longlegs, they are at it again!--

Can I see you?»

Poor Lola!

A tarantula’s mounting

Countess Lansfeld’s

Handsome brassiere

While they all cheer

And the old king fell from grace

While Lola fled

To save face and her career

You caught a fly, floating by

Wait for him to drown in the dust;

Drown in the dust of other flies

Whereby the machine is run

And the deed is done

Heaven has no word

For the way you and your friends

Have treated poor Louis

May god save your poor soul, Lola

(But there is nothing I adore

Apart from that whore’s black heart.)

Well, doesn’t that just beat all!

Miss Gilbert

Called to Castlemaine

By the silver dollar and the gold glitter!

Well, I’ve seen lots

But never, in a million years

Would think to see you, here

Though the long road

Begins and ends with you

I cannot seem to make amends

With you, Louis

When we go out

They’re bound to see you with me

At night, I walk in the park

With a whip

Between the lines

Of the whispering Jesuits

Who are poisoning you against me

There’s a big black spider

Hanging over my door

Can’t go anywhere, anymore

Tell me, are you with me?

I called to you, several times

While the change took place

And then arrived, all night

And I died

But all these songs

When you and I are long gone

Will carry on

Mud in your eye

You asked my hand

Hired a band

«In your heart is all that you need;

Ask and you will receive,» it is said

I threw my bouquet

And I knocked 'em dead

Bottle of white, bottle of red

Helpless as a child

When you held me in your arms

And I knew that no other

Could ever love me as you loved

But help me!

I’m leaving!

I remember everything

Down to the sound of you shaving--

The scrape of your razor

The dully-abrading black hair

That remained

When you clutched at me

That night I came upstairs, half-dead

And, in your kindness

You put me straightaway

In the cupboard

With a bottle of champagne

And then, later, on a train

It was dark out, I was half-dead

I saw a star fall into the sky

Like a chunk of thrown coal

As if god himself spat

Like a cornered rat

I really want you to do this for me

Will you have one on me?

It was dark;

I was drunk and half-dead

And we slept, knocking heads

Sitting up in the star-smoking air

Knocking heads like buoys

Don’t you worry for me!

Have one on me!

Meanwhile, I will raise my own glass

To how you made me fast

And expendable

And I will drink to your excellent health

And your cruelty

Will you have one on me?

--helpless as a child

When you held me in your arms

And I knew that no other

Could ever love me--

From the courtyard, I floated in

And watched it go down

Heard the cup drop;

Thought, «Well, that’s why

They keep them around.»

The blackguard sat hard, down

With no head on him now

And I felt so bad

Cause I didn’t know how

To feel bad enough

To make him proud

Well daddy longlegs, are you?

Daddy longlegs, are you?

Daddy longlegs, are you proud?