He And She

What caused country blues men to claim
A man and a woman is a dangerous game?
Well, every schoolboy knows one plus one equals two
And boys know less than girls do
A man forgets what the boy knew
Remembers what he's used to
Till you crash the cacophonous procession of cruel, hard fun
Shook my remembering with a blinding glance
What songs do mystic blues men sing
'Bout memory being more powerful than the real, real thing?
Here, there, the sun, oh, the moon
The sun, the moon, and you, only you
You are northern lights, searing midnight skies
With sassy splashes of unruly satin
I see only you
My heart is a swallow swooping down
To taunt the arrogant, love-struck coward
Who dares approach you disguised as a man
What passions could cosmic blues men blame
If a man too scared to ask a woman her name?
You are the razor rim of some sudden primal chasm
Best broached boldly, if at all
Well, I will ride the rim bare if need be
Because I seek only you, you and only you
Once I saw the setting sun facing the red, red moon
'Cross the big, big sky made small by them
Looking so hard at each other, so hard
Much, much majesty just waiting and watching and waiting and watching
It was everything and nothing all at once
The sun and the moon, oh, the impassive sky
One plus one equals two
Like you and me before becoming we
Then that glorious sun was gone
There, the moon, oh, the midnight sky
The moon, the desolate sky, and the road
Only the road and what has passed or has passed by
What tales do wily blues men weave
'Bout a man and a woman when that woman leave?
Well, every schoolboy knows one plus zero equals one
'Cept if you're the one gone
Like me remembering me without you
One plus zero equals zero
A man forgets what the boy knew for true
'Till you halted an awkward parade of silly grown-up games
And stone-cold jolly with the devastating presentness of yes
Jump-start my sputtering heart
I rides the rim
The barest breeze brings you on the wind
Reminds me of first things
First day of school, first crush, first slow dance, first kiss
First time you let me know what it feels like to be you
What madness makes mocking blues men rhyme?
A man and a woman for another last time
You remember you told me I said something I didn't say
Or mean to say that you thought meant something about you and me
But it wasn't true that I said it
Or that you even heard what I actually did say
Or really mean to say at all?
You and me together
Us going through things and coming
Out on the other side still together
That's what I was saying that you misunderstood, baby
One plus one equals three
You, me, and you and me
What folly do sophic blues men find
When a man think he know a woman mind?
Then she: "You're the one misunderstood
I was talking about everything and nothing, baby
No you, no me
One plus one equals one
Us plus us equals us"
Then he: "One plus one equals one?
Damn, I bet there's not a schoolboy in the whole world knows that
Girls, they born knowing all kinds of stuff a
Man ain't never, ever gonna even ever learn"
Here, there, the sun, oh, the moon
The sun and the moon
The sun, the moon, and the big, big sky
Oh, the moon, the midnight sky, and the road
Only the road and what has passed or has passed by
Truly nothing and everything
All the tears the pious have wept
'Bout a man gone and a woman kept
All the wrongs the righteous assail
'Bout a two-timing woman and a man in jail
All the songs country blues men sing
'Bout ever-loving love and a one-night fling
'Bout how a woman can take more than a man can ever bring
Oh, yes, a man and a woman is a dangerous thing
A train, a banjo, and a chicken wing