Wednesday, April 23, 2014

The Tyger by William Blake and Anna Begins by Counting Crows

The Tyger

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright 

In the forests of the night, 
What immortal hand or eye 
Could frame thy fearful symmetry? 
In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare sieze the fire?
And what shoulder, and what art.
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? And what dread feet?
What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?
When the stars threw down their spears,
And watered heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?
Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

William Blake

I've had this poem mostly(ish) memorized since high school. I'm not sure why it never completely stuck in my head.  I am pretty sure that it's too late for me to get this one down pat.  Today's song is my favorite Counting Crows song.  Here are the lyrics:

Anna Begins

My friend assures me "it's all or nothing" 
I am not worried, I am not overly concerned 
My friend implores me: "For one time only make an exception" 
I am not not worried 
Wrap her up in a package of lies send her off to a coconut island 
I am not worried, I am not overly concerned 
With the status of my emotions "Oh", She says, "You're changing." 

But we're always changing 
It does not bother me to say this isn't love 
Because if you don't want to talk about it then it isn't love 
And I guess I'm going to have to live with that 
But, I'm sure there's something in a shade of grey or something in between 
And I can always change my name if that's what you mean 

My friend assures me "It's all or nothing" 
But I am not really worried, I am not overly concerned 
You try to tell yourself the things you tell yourself to make yourself forget 
I am not worried 
"If it's love", she said, "then were gonna have to think about the 
consequences" 
She can't stop shaking and I can't stop touching her and..... 

This time when kindness falls like rain 
It washes her away and Anna begins to change her mind 
"These seconds when I'm shaking leave me shuddering for days" she says 
And I'm not ready for this sort of thing 

But I'm not gonna break and I'm not going to worry about it anymore 
I'm not gonna bend and I'm not gonna break 
I'm not gonna worry about it anymore 
It seems like I should say "as long as this is love..." 
But it's not all that easy so maybe I should just: 
Snap her up in a butter fly net and just pin her down on a photograph album 
I am not worried, I've done this sort of thing before 
But then I start to think about the consequences 
Because I don't get no sleep in a quiet room and... 

The time when kindness falls like rain 
It washes me away and Anna begins to change my mind 
And every time she sneezes I believe it's it's love and 
Oh lord.... I'm not ready for this sort of thing 

She's talking in her sleep 
It's keeping me awake and Anna begins to toss and turn 
And every word is nonsense but I understand and 
Oh lord... I'm not ready for this sort of thing 

Her kindness bangs a gong 
It's moving me along and Anna begins to fade away 
It's chasing me away 
She disappears and 
Oh lord, I'm not ready for this sort of thing





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