Meadowlark (The Baker's Wife)

When I was a girl I had a favorite story
Of a meadowlark who lived where the river winds
Her voice could match the angels in its glory
But she was blind
The lark was blind
An old king came and took her to his palace
Where the walls were burnished bronze and golden braid
And he fed her fruits and nuts from an ivory chalace
And then he prayed
Sing for me my meadowlark
Sing for me of the silver morning
Set me free my meadowlark
And I'll buy you a priceless jewel
And cloth of brocade and crewel
And I'll love you for life if you will
Sing for me
Then one day as the lark sang by the water
The god of the sun heard her in his flight
And her singing moved him so he came and brought her
The gift of sight
He gave her sight
And she opened her eyes to the shimmer and the splendor
Of this beautiful young god so proud and strong
And he called to the lark in a voice both rough and tender
Come along
Fly with me my meadow lark
Fly with me on the silver morning
Past the sea where the dolphins bark
We will dance on the coral beaches
Make a feast of the plums and peaches
Just as far as your vision reaches
Fly with me
But the meadowlark said no
For the old king loved her so
She couldn't bear to wound his pride
So the sun god flew away
And when the king came down that day
He found his meadowlark had died
Everytime I heard that part I cried
And now I stand here starry eyed and stormy
Oh just when I thought my heart was finally numb
A beautiful young man appears before me
Singing come
Oh won't you come
And what can I do if finally for the first time
The one I'm burning for returns the glow
If love has come at last, its picked the worst time
Still I know
I've got to go to go
Fly away meadowlark
Fly away on the silver morning
If I stay I'll grow to curse the dark
So it's off where the days won't find me
I know I leave wounds behind me
But I won't let tomorrow find me back this way
Before my past once again can find me
Fly away
And we won't wait to say goodbye
My beautiful young man
And I