Jane Siberry The White Tent The Raft Lyrics

The White Tent The Raft Lyrics

there's a red leaf

that falls from a purple tree

it falls it floats
down

one red leaf against a clear blue sky

it floats down

past the
marbles in the clearing

beneath the geese in flight

to the darkening
river

in the autumn light

where it touches down

oh, like a great
bird landing

tears of autumn 



there's a white tent that
sits

in the middle of a raft

that floats down

floats down the
middle of a river

of a stream floating down

and the tears
streaming

from the mind's eye

streaming back beyond

the white
sheets that flap and fly

oh, tears of wanting 



the white tent the
raft

the white tent the raft

the white tent the raft

fists and
chests 



MANGO CLEARING:

oh Mango in the clearing

it's his leg
or something

waiting

everything would be alright

watching the
trees

then his toes

then the trees

deeper into the jungle

and
leaves him there

we turn off the t.v.

never forget that night

never
heard you

couldn't sleep

hotel window

get up to those dark
peaks

everything would be 



the white tent the raft

the white
tent the raft

the white tent the raft

fists and chests 



GREAT
OVERCOAT CLEARING:

and when it's not our great overcoat

it's a grey and
yellow dress

so beautiful the bees

they followed you through the
mall

to the clearing in the wilderness

and you lay down and I picked
you up

and I said you must never leave

your beautiful hands

like
knitting needles

and I said- it's Jane, it's me 



she said
-

when you go that's when you go

lighten up and pass the cup

fifty
bucks and that's all you got?

yeah, I love you 



there's a white
tent that sits

in the middle of a raft that floats down

floats down the
middle of a river

of a stream floating down

and the tears
streaming

from the mind's eye

streaming back beyond the white
sheets

that flap and fly

oh, tears of hardness 



the white tent
the raft

the white tent the raft

the white tent the raft

fists and
chests 



OVERKILL CLEARING:

found the snake in the clearing

and
it tried to kill him of course

but then...only after it tried to get
away

he said -

youse the meanest ugliest low-down

and he cursed and
swore

gonna shoot the damn thing

(I'll never let nobody hurt you)

I
watched from the raft

and I withdrew my scent

it's not hard to kill a
snake

it's not hard

it's not hard to kill a snake

it's not that
hard 



the white tent the raft

the white tent the raft

the
white tent the raft

fists and chests 



ANGRY CLEARING:

what do
you mean I love you

stop saying I love you

I don't know what you mean
anyway

I don't know what love is and...

you don't know what love is
and...

it doesn't change anything anyway 



ah...who cares

who
gives a...

because all I see

is more hate

more fear

less light
than before me 



the white tent the raft

the white tent the
raft

the white tent the raft

fists and chests 



BIRDS AT DAWN
CLEARING:

get off my branch...

stick legs -they are not

this is my
tree

it's getting lighter

I'm talking to you

turn down your
radio

dawn is coming - run! 



every morning when the sun comes
up

as loud as he can Get Up! Get Up!

yeah, I love you I love you a
lot

lighten up and pass the cup 



there's a thousand white
tents

on a thousand rafts all floating down

there's a thousand
fists

and a thousand chests

they come thundering down

and the tears
streaming

from a thousand eyes

streaming back beyond the white
sheets

that flap and fly

oh, tears of hunger 



there's a white
tent that blows

in the middle of a raft

that floats down down the
middle

of a long and lonely dream

or is it lovely? can't always
tell...

and the clearings pass

like blowing scarves

the slightly
familiar

the slightly apart

and the river never runs dry

oh, tears
of open 



the white tent the raft

the white tent the raft

and
one red leaf

for my love...

for your love...