By The Rivers Dark lyrics

Song information

Artist: Leonard Cohen
Album: Ten New Songs

Lyrics

By the rivers dark
I wandered on
I lived my life
In babylon

And I did forget
My holy song:
And I had no strength
In babylon

By the rivers dark
Where I could not see
Who was waiting there
Who was hunting me

And he cut my lip
And he cut my heart
So I could not drink
From the river dark

And he covered me
And I saw within
My lawless heart
And my wedding ring

I did not know
And I could not see
Who was waiting there
Who was hunting me

By the rivers dark
I panicked on
I belonged at last
To babylon

Then he struck my heart
With a deadly force
And he said, 'this heart:
It is not yours.'

And he gave the wind
My wedding ring;
And he circled us
With everything

By the rivers dark
In a wounded dawn
I live my life
In babylon

Though I take my song
From a withered limb
Both song and tree
They sing for him

Be the truth unsaid
And the blessing gone
If I forget
My babylon

I did not know
And I could not see
Who was waiting there
Who was hunting me

By the rivers dark
Where it all goes on;
By the rivers dark
In babylon

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

"Ten New Songs" album track list