Among My Swan

How to read this version of the Lyrics

When my confidence level is less than 100%, the word or words in question will be in parenthesis. When I am fairly sure it is either one of two words, both those words will be in parenthesis--separated by a slash--with my best guess listed first. Ellipses (...) indicate that I haven't a clue as to what Hope is saying.
Much of Umbilical is studied conjecture, so apply the above rules more loosely. (Perhaps the entire song should be parenthetical.) It does actually seems to make some lyrical sense to me but, who knows?--I may have just written my own, totally different, song.

Iwelcome corrections or confirmations of my guesses. If you E-mail me with a lyrical update, please boldface or underline the words in question so I can find them faster.

Text version - For fast & easy printing on dot matrix & other slow printers. (Not perfected yet. Try saving as a text file & then printing.)

Among My Swan
lyrics written by Hope Sandoval & David Roback 
deciphered & transcribed by Thomas L./Everthing Mazzy

DISAPPEAR 
***

just because
you call my name
I cannot hear
it's not the same
(can't close my/you close your) eyes
and knock me back
all the things that I had to (have/live)

(and now you)...just...(fallen...)
I can't believe what I had to say
all the things you never say
I'll never be what you want me to be
now I can't disappear

close your eyes and look at me
I can't believe what I cannot see
everything is like you say
change your mind and you'll have to forgive

and I can't disappear
now I can't
now I can't

FLOWERS IN DECEMBER
*****

before I let you down again
I just want to see you in your eyes
I wouldn't have taken everything, out on you
I only thought, you could, understand

they say every man goes blind in his heart,
and they say everybody steals somebody's heart away
and I got nothing more to say about it
nothing more (to you) or me                  

send me your flowers, of your december
send me your dreams, of your (candlelly wine)
I got just one thing I can't give you
just one more thing of mine

they say every man goes blind in his heart
and they say everybody steals somebody's heart away
and I've been wondering why you let me down
and I've been taking it all for granted

RHYMES OF AN HOUR
***

cannot hear what you're saying
could I tell you so
and I can't leave my troubles               
and I'm going home

(lie and) sleep
under deep
you know

while the cold winter waitin'
while you (stumble home)
all these things we were searchin'      
now we just don't know

(lie and) sleep
under deep
I think you know

for the rhymes of an hour
now I'm goin' home
and I can't believe I'm nothin'
cause I'm coming (down/back/home?)                       

(lie and) sleep
under deep
do you know

CRY, CRY
**

cry, cry for you
just like you knew I wouldn't do
cry, cry for you
just like a song in the last light

should I (bleed/leave) it all away
not like the kindness that you gave
that's why it never seems the same
behind your eyes

I (stood/stayed) behind when no one asked me
and took you home after the fight
I drove my car into city lights
drove down the road that I am (on)

cry, cry for you
that's what you think I want to be
cry, cry for you
an empty heart that sees me through  

cry, cry for you
just like you knew I wouldn't do
cry cry for you
just like a song in the last light        

cry, cry for you
just like a you knew I wouldn't do

TAKE EVERYTHING
****

I can't believe your thinking
save everyone, inside you
take everything
fake everything
save everything--about me

all of you, (all right)
just, just because, I want to know 
do you still (come last night with clear eyes peeled/pale)
you never got there (even though you say you will)
sorry now that you've fallen from my eyes
that's the truth

why tell me about (everything)
why tell me about (anything)
you're just waiting for her to come apart
you're just waiting for her

take everything
fake everything
save everything

STILL COLD
****

you really had a million hearts to break
(now it's time that I??)never left you in the moonlight   
how come there's always someone else driving your car
taking you different places, in the sunlight

still cold like the stars
that's just the way you are
still cold like the stars

used to say your heart, felt like a stone
now everything you ever wanted is your own
still cold like the stars
that's just the way you are
still cold like the stars

All YOUR SISTERS
*****

and I knew, I was close to you
and I knew
catch me flying, in the sun
catch me drinking, of your wine

I'm gonna put something in you
make the devil feel surprised
all your sisters wanna fly
around my golden sky
around my golden sky

just because you feel, hollow inside--it's real
just because you feel, hollow inside--it's real

I'm gonna put something in you
make the devil feel surprised
make the devil feel surprised

and I knew I was close to you
and I (knew)                                 
catch me flying in the sun
catch me drinking, of your wine

I'VE BEEN LET DOWN
****

I've been let down
and I'm still coming round
I've been pulled down
and I'm still coming round for you
coming round for you

take away everything that feels fine
catch a shape in the circles of my mind
make me feel like I belong to you
make me feel it even if it ain't true

catch a train on a silver afternoon
a thousand miles and I'm gettin' there too soon
take me there, when I should be going home
tell me why I'm still feeling (all) alone

I've been let down
and I'm still coming round
I've been pulled down
and I'm still coming round for you
coming round for you

ROSEBLOOD
*****

everyday you can see
changes in her hair and smile
I can wait a million days
while her smile goes away

sometimes I feel dizzy
by (the slices in her hand)
secrets in her (lipstick mouth)
(shiny or/shining on) never again
(shiny or/shining on) never again

capture a smile and then that's all
you won't know her so it's ok
funny how things change
funny how things change

HAPPY
***

(fields of light/of life?)                    
they hold me inside             
count, my stars, they are lucky, in the sky
there's a time
when you go off the line
and all my things, look like someone else's memories

cold outside, burns a great big hole in my heart
I'll just wait, til you're happy, and your smile makes it right
it makes it right

sleep inside, the ocean has (smiles?)           
it shimmers and, and it (flows/glows), for some people
I know it shines
I know it shines

stay inside
don't the colors make you blind
they hold me inside
count my stars
let them shine
I know they shine

UMBILICAL
****

she should have seen the thing in mother's belly
grew up alongside her sister's...
she reached out for nourishment (and falls from her mother's umbilical cord)
with her sister in the (womb)

one day she opens her mouth wide and swallows (her surroundings)
the red, and orange and the sounds all around her 
now she was (in her corner)
now she was (in her corner)
her eyes closed with some kind of complete
happiness
some kind of complete
happiness

now she can walk in the sunlight (with a quiet sense of relief inside)
now she walks in the sunlight
an extra feeling inside her soul, makes her cry

.....in her mama's belly...opens her...sisters
one day she opens her mouth wide and swallows (her surroundings)
the red, and orange and the sounds all around her 
(in the) sunlight...makes it (go away)
now she was (in her corner)
in the sunlight
now she was (in her corner)......she has...........
her eyes closed with some kind of complete
happiness
some kind of complete
happiness

(and now) she walks in the sunlight (with the extra feeling, inside her)
now she walks in the sunlight (with the extra feeling, (inside her)
(inside her???)

LOOK ON DOWN FROM THE BRIDGE
*****

look on down from the bridge
there's still fountains down there 
look on down from the bridge
it's still raining, up here

everybody seems so far away from me
everybody just wants to be free
look away from the sky
it's no different when you're leaving home
I can't be the same thing to you now
I'm just gone, just gone
how could I say goodbye
how could I say goodbye
goodbye

maybe I'll just place my hands over you
and close my eyes real tight
there's a light in your eyes
and you know--yeah, you know
look on down from the bridge
I'm still waiting for you

Swan version 2 - March 15, 1997

I love the way she says "real tight" in Bridge