David Berman

"Nights That Won’t Happen", Purple Mountains

The dead know what they're doing when they leave this world behind
When the here and the hereafter momentarily align
See the need to speed into the lead suddenly declined
The dead know what they're doing when they leave this world behind

 

And as much as we might like to seize the reel and hit rewind
Or quicken our pursuit of what we're guaranteed to find
When the dying's finally done and the suffering subsides
All the suffering gets done by the ones we leave behind
All the suffering gets done by the ones we leave behind

 

Nights that won't happen
Time we won't spend
Time we won't spend
With each other again
With each other again

 

Ghosts are just old houses dreaming people in the night
Have no doubt about it, hon, the dead will do alright
Go contemplate the evidence and I guarantee you'll find
The dead know what they're doing when they leave this world behind

 

Nights that won't happen
Time we won't spend
Nights that won't happen
Never ever again
Nights that won't happen
Never reaching the end
Nights that won't happen
Never even begin
Never even begin

 

This world is like a roadside inn and we're the guests inside
And death is a black camel that kneels down so we can ride
And when the dying's finally done and the suffering subsides
All the suffering gets done by the ones we leave behind
All the suffering gets done by the ones we leave behind

 

On nights that won't happen
Time we won't spend
Time we won't spend
With each other again
Nights that won't happen
Never reaching the end
Nights that won't happen
We can't even begin
We can't even begin