While You Were Sleeping - Elvis Perkins

While you were sleeping

Your babies grew

The stars shined and the shadows moved

Time flew, the phone rang

There was a silence when the kitchen sang

Its songs competed like kids for space

We stared for hours in our maker’s face

They gave us picks

Said go mine the sun

And go gold and come back when you’re done

While you were sleeping

You tossed, you turned

You rolled your eyes as the world burned

The heavens fell, the earth quaked

I thought you must be, but you weren’t awake

No, you were dreaming

You ignored the sun

You grew your power garden

For your little ones

And you found brides for them on christmas eve

They hung young cain from the adam trees

And danced

While you were sleeping

I tossed and I turned

'til I closed my eyes

But the future burned

Through the planet turned

A hair gray

As I relived the day

While you were sleeping

The money died

Machines were harmless and the earth sighed

Through the wind you swept sound

And gravity caught my love around

The oceans rose, sang about decay

While witches flew

And the mermaids stayed

Full of dreams, you overslept

And keeping with the quiet, through the walls I crept

I walked on tiptoe, sent darkness swirling

Over all the kitchen in the early morning

I’ll never catch up to you

Who sleeps so sound

My arms are useless

My heart beats too loud

To go to sleep

My mind’s too proud

To bow out

While you were sleeping

The time changed

All your things were rearranged

Your vampire mirrors face to face

They saw forever out into space

And found you dreaming in black and white

While it rained in all the colors of the night

I watched the tvs

Memories

Championships

Vanished to sea

Can it be,

My honey between you and me So I waited for the riddled sky

To dissolve again by the sunrise

And I’ve made a death suit for life

For my father’s ill widowed wife

Did you have that strangest dream before you woke?

'cause in your gown you had the butterfly stroke

Did it escape you like some half told joke?

When you reached for your plume of smoke

It’ll haunt you, my honey bee

Anyone who is anyone has that same dream

Were you falling

Were you flying

And were you calling out

Or were you dying

Thank god you’re up now

Let’s stay this way

Else there’ll be no mornings

And no more days

'cause when we’re dreaming

The babies grow

The sun shines

And the shadows flow

Time flies

The phone rings

There is a silence

When everybody tries to sing