Sad Stephen's Song

And there were mermaids, weren't there
Sweet silver mermaids
All through that gray Trafalgar Square
Such silver mermaids

They were young, and they were fair
They brushed their bronze and
Dusky hair
And whispered, "Come, Sad Stephen, come, and play here"

"You will love, you will be loved
You will grow up, and do so much
You will be strong, you will be sung
By all the mermaids, silver mermaids"

And once they'd sung their satin song
They beckoned to me from the fog
They spread their arms and lifted
Pale-portrait faces
I was taken

To their coral-cavern halls
To rooms with oyster shells for walls
To sandy nooks, and pearly books and ivory dolls

In ivory stalls, in ivory stalls

And there were mermaids, weren't there?
Sweet silver mermaids
All through that wan, forgotten square
Silver mermaids

They were young, and they were fair
They brushed their bronze and
Dusky hair
And whispered, "Come, Sad Stephen, come"
And I was taken

Was I wrong? should I have run?
I wanted all, I wanted young
And portrait faces
I was taken

Did I love? I didn't care
Did I grow up? Well, unaware

And was I strong? And was I sung?
How do I haunt Trafalgar fog
And find I want so much, still want

And no more mermaids
No more mermaids