Collins, Judy - In The Twilight Lyrics






She’s a lady,
and she barely knows her name now
In the twilight as she sleeps
And her memories chase her down the days of childhood
There was music, always music

And her brothers – there was Robert,
the captain of a freighter that sailed to China
There was Shannon, who ran off one icy morning
And then Herbert and then Frank, all so handsome
And her sisters, who were beautiful
and yearned to be together.

She’s a lady,
and she’s sleeping like a princess
who will wake up and drink amber
from a slipper made of diamonds
She was married to a blind man who was my father,
such a charmer, and another whose name was Robert
Who holds her fragile hand while I am weeping

Chardonnay in a crystal glass,
amethysts on her fingers
Roses and forget-me-nots
in the garden where she lingered
All around her the snowy peaks
drew her eyes with wonder
All of her betrayals drowned
in the roaring canyon’s thunder

She’s a lady,
and she always dressed in silk and had her hair done
and her clothes were pretty colors
and the scent of Chanel in her satin cloak
when she went dancing with my father
when they were very young

She’s a lady,
and saw nearly twenty presidents and she voted for Obama
In the old days,
sipping Presbyterians, she’d argue with her children
who had opinions about everything that mattered
And she’d tell of the time she saw Rachmaninoff.

Chardonnay in a crystal glass, amethysts in her
necklace Roses and forget-me-nots
and three sons so fine and reckless
Daughters too, who were free like her
One who sang and one who painted
She loved them all ever more and more
And thought all of us should be sainted

She’s a lady,
and she barely knows my name now
In the twilight, and she sleeps most of the day
and when she wakes up she says that she’s going home
And asks me how I knew where to find her
In this home that’s not her home

She sees her garden,
Growing wild since she had to leave the sweetness
of those afternoons on her patio
Where Robert kept the flowers blooming.

She’s a lady,
and she’s going home she tells me
in the twilight as her eyes close
I ask her where,
and she says that it’s a secret
Then she’s gone just like the flowers in her garden.

Chardonnay in a crystal glass, amethysts on her fingers
Roses and forget-me-nots in the garden
where she lingered
All around her the snowy peaks
drew her eyes with wonder
All of her betrayals drowned
in the roaring canyon’s thunder

Marjorie, my mother, sweet Marjorie of the garden
That blooms now in my heart





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Collins, Judy In The Twilight Comments
  1. B.... N....

    a song for the ages.............as I stated elsewhere, Judy celebrating her mother, the triumphs of her life set against the eventual dementia that transformed her in some ways....but as Judy lets us, so much of her stayed till the end (and lives on)

  2. M.... A....

    Such a beautiful tribute to Mother😢💝Still crying....Miss Mother, always I shall😌❤💓

  3. H.... L....

    Hardcore goosebumps. anyone else. I felt it all over my skull.

  4. B.... H....

    Sweet, sentimental with some humor. Well done.

  5. s.... ....

    A most beautifully written song about such a personal memory of her mom. Judy is a most wonderful writer and singer.

  6. L.... L....

    Saw her perform this in North Carolina, November, 2015-- amazing

    L.... L....

    my favorite artist performing a beautiful tribute for her mother.Good

    L.... L....

    God bless you and I hope to be seeing her and listening to her for the remainder of my life

  7. K.... H....

    I heard Ms. Collins sing this magnificent tribute to her mother at the San Diego Fair this past summer. I've probably listened to it 100 times since then. Her description is exactly what I feel about my mother who is now gone.

  8. J.... G....

    I saw her live in Durham, NC last night, & she was amazing, but this song brought me to tears! Seriously, it took about 15 minutes to stop crying, probably because my Mom just passed away a few months ago. Incredible performance!

  9. S.... S....

    Singing and playing the piano is difficult.  And she wrote the song.  And the song is awesome, and Judy, at 75, you are the awesomest!!  I will always love you.  

  10. J.... ....

    A preposterously beautiful song. How on earth can a person produce their most vital art in their 70s?

  11. T.... T....

    I just got my hands on Barbra Streisand's Release Me and she sings Didn't We, and now I listen to Judy Collins ...I am young again...

  12. R.... F....

    oh so very beautiful.....I had the privilege of hearing Judy singing this live at the Chan Centre in Vancouver 2 nights ago......:-)

  13. S.... G....

    Thanks also to Judy. You tear at my heart.....still all these years later.

  14. S.... G....

    Superb! Thank you so much.

  15. D.... H....

    I literally cannot believe that she is 73 - she redefines what aging is about. Fantastic, superb, they all come up short to describe this wonderful woman who has been my idol since I was a teenager in the early 70's. Flawless.

  16. L.... M....

    What a masterpiece! I listen to it over and over again and always discover something new. Thanks so much for this Judy. Thanks for sharing thoughts of your Mother.

  17. c.... ....

    voice like velvet!

  18. C.... ....

    Superb !
    Merci beaucoup !

  19. R.... H....

    I would really like the lryircs of this song!!!!.
    Judy is really the best love her......