A Woman, A Woman, A Century of Sleep (Emmy the Great)
I know, I know that I could live in
whatever house you choose to build and I
will model myself on it and
wait for you alone, while you are
out making a life for us I will
stay and watch the days go past, and I'll
see how the plants advance
and they turn on what they know
Now there is rosemary where previously no rosemary was shown,
they have arials they feed from me and they grow and grow and grow now I am,
shifting into greenery now the pipes are running bone and you might,
think I was a house but I am a woman, a woman
"Come back, come back" before you said
"Come back so you can see
There are roses in the flowerbeds
where there never used to be"
And all my days are
fading into leaves
walls you made are us
but I don't want to be
the queen
in a century of sleep
I know, I know that I believe in
whatever brings you joy from me
But I've swept until I couldn't sweep
and this house is still a lie, now I have to
find a dress, have to buy a dress
have to sew the dress 'til the pieces mesh, and I
don't think I'm ready yet and I
haven't got the time
Now there is rosemary where previously there was no rosemary,
they have arials they feed from me and they tease and tease and tease now I am,
shifting into scenery now the pipes are running bleach and you might,
think I was a house, but I'm a woman, a woman
But you say don't be afraid
and you try to explain
how the best that we can hope and hope to gain
is to love and then be loved
is to have and then to hold
'til we age and then we're old
And all my days are
fading into leaves
walls you made are us
but I don't want to be
And all my days are
fading into leaves
walls you made are us
but I don't want to be
the queen
in a century of sleep
But I know that I believe
in whatever makes you pleased
in whatever brings you joy
from me