Dar Williams - Mortal City lyrics

rate me

She never should have rented this apartment in the mortal city

The cold comes though evey crack she puts her hand up to

The radiator's brokenso she has to use electric heat.

And tonight was the first date with the brother of the guy she worked next to

He lived a couple streets awa

He listenedhe had things to say

She asked him up for dinner sometime

Sometime was tonight

The radio gave updates on the ice storm while she made the dinner

They saidfrom all the talkyou shouldn't drive or even walk

And this just in -- we're asking everyone to turn off their power

They need it at the hostpital.

She ran around pulling plugsthen she called him up

Maybe now they shouldn't meethe said that he would brave the streets

She met him at the door with a blanket and a candle

SayingI heard it on the radioI had to turn my power off.

He said you're not the only onethe streets were dark tonight

It was like another century

With dim lamps and candles lighting up the icy trees and the clouds and a covered moon.

She said what kind of people make a city

Where you can't see the sky and you can't feel the ground?

I tell you somethingI have this feeling that this city's dying

He saidit's not dying it's the people who are dying

She saidyes yes I think the people are dying and nobody cares.

We had all this technology our dreams were bold and vague

And then one city got bad plannersone city got the plague.

He asked why did you move here? she saidfor the job

For the job and I've been so lonely hereso lonely

There's no one I can talk toyou know I don't even know your brother.

He smiled and saidsometimes at night I walk out by the river

The city's one big townthe water turns it upside down

People found this city because they love other people

They want their secretariesthey want their power lunches.

And think about tonightI heard the same newscast you did

I unplugged everythingI looked out the window

And I think the city heardI watched as one by one the lights went off

So they could give their power to the hospital

They ate in silence while she thought this over

They sat together in a dark room in the mortal city

Shifting in their blankets so they wouldn't get spaghetti on them.

Then came the awkward moment after dinnerwhat to do

The ice was still fallingthe streets were still dangerous

The cabs were not running and this neighborhood was not the greatest.

They both looked at the space where a couch would've been

She felt her stomach sinkshe felt like she could hardly think

She saidI never should have rented this apartment in the mortal city

The cold comes through eve crack I put my hand up to

The radiator doesn't workI have to use electric heat.

That settled itthey would both sleep in her bed

It was a matter of survival.

She brought out teeshirtssweatshirtssweatpantssockshats

If there was ever any thought of what would happen in that bed tonight

There wa no question now

They could barely move

They were wrapped up like ornaments waiting for another season.

They lay in bedthey listened to the pelting ice

He said my brother's not a bad guyhe's just quiet

I wished you liked this city

She saidmaybe I do.

I think I have a special kind of hearing tonight

I hear the neighbors upstairs

I hear my heart beating

I hear one thousand hearts beating at the hospital

And one thousand hearts by their bedsides waiting

Saying that's my love in the white gown

We are not lost in the mortal city

We are not lost in the mortal city