Coyote lyrics

Song information

Artist: Joni Mitchell
Album: Hejira

Lyrics

No regrets, coyote
We just come from such different sets of circumstance
I'm up all night in the studios
And you're up early on your ranch
You'll be brushing out a brood mare's tail
While the sun is ascending
And I'll just be getting home with my reel to reel..
There's no comprehending
Just how close to the bone, and the skin, and the eyes, and the lips you can get -
And still feel so alone
And still feel related
Like stations in some relay
You're not a, a hit and run driver, no, no
Racing away
You just picked up a hitcher
A prisoner of the white lines on the freeway

We saw a farmhouse burning down
In the middle of the road
Where in the middle of the night
We rolled right past that tragedy
Till we pulled into some road house lights
Where a local band was playing
Locals were up kicking and shaking on the floor
The next thing I know
That coyote's at my door
He pins me in a corner and he won't take "no!"
He drags me out on the dance floor
And we're dancing close and slow
Now he's got a woman at home
He's got another woman down the hall
He seems to want me anyway:
"Why'd you have to get so drunk and
Lead me on that way?'"
You just picked up a hitcher
A prisoner of the white lines on the freeway

I looked a coyote right in the face
On the road to baljennie near my old home town
He went runnin' through the whisker wheat
Chasing some prize down
And a hawk was playing with him
Coyote was jumping straight up and making passes
He had those same eyes just like yours -
Under your dark glasses
Privately probing the public rooms
Peeking through keyholes in numbered doors
Where the players lick their wounds
And take their temporary lovers
And their pills and powders to get them through this passion play
No regrets, coyote
I just get off up away
You just picked up a hitcher
A prisoner of the white lines on the freeway

Coyote's in the coffee shop
He's staring a hole in his scrambled eggs
And he picks up my scent on his fingers
While he's watching a waitresses' legs
He's too far from the bay of fundy
From appaloosas and eagles and tides
The air conditioned cubicles and the carbon ribbon rides
Are spelling it out so clear:
Either he's going to have to stand and fight
Or take off out of here
I tried to run away myself
To run away and wrestle with my ego -
And with this flame you put here in this eskimo -
In this hitcher -
In this prisoner -
Of the fine white lines -
Of the white lines -
On the free, free way

[from http://lyrics.doheth.co.uk]

"Hejira" album track list