I met the landlord, I kept my soul
And in of a man he was ashen and coal
Spoke quick, confusing, burdened me up
Left me for hollow when he'd had his sup
I bore all his load til the day that we met
And one glimpse of you bent the load from my fret
To my frown, to my stern, and then rocking me by
And a game and a cheer, on the earth, in the sky
So said I to the landlord
I'll not see thee here
and I'll wait for his answer
Til the load wasn't there and it never had been
And all was before was so distant a dream
Til I saw in my friend what had once been my foe
And the terrible landlord had all in his tow
In his wake and the call of his burning black ship
And the wind it was blown from his proud blackened lips
And I with my bellows cast clouds through the sky
So that his awful flames, they might moisten and die.
And then I with a light shone on that which was there
As in light I did nothing, as in days I did fare
And so days in my ear and days all around
Proving death to the landlord and all he abounds
And the night she shone too until all that was now
Had been hoisted for viewing in all of the crowd
I was glad in the light that crept twixt new and old
and then polished with all, and so tender so bold
So said I to the landlord
I'll not see thee here
And I'll wait for his answer
So meek in that moment, thee in error til all
Of my friends and their friends saw in joy their loads fall
They fell in they fell out they fell near they fell far
They gave all in a shout and put all to the stars
Lifting them as one load, such a burdensome thing
Troubling nothing that lives now, no and nothing it seems
Nothing that dances, nothing that's moved
In the old spinning circle of all that we proved
So said I to the landlord
I'll not see thee here
And I'll wait for his answer
So said I to the landlord
I'll not see thee here
And I'll wait for his answer
Though I've waited for years.