Newsom, Joanna - Sawdust & Diamonds Lyrics






From the top of the flight of the wide white stairs
Through the rest of my life, do you wait for me there?
There's a bell in my ears, there's a wide white roar
Drop a bell down the stairs, hear it fall forever more
Hear it fall forever more

Drop a bell off of the dock
Blot it out in the sea
Drowning mute as a rock
And sounding mutiny

There's a light in the wings hits this system of strings from the side while they swing, see the wires, the wires, the wires
And the articulation in our elbows and knees makes us buckle and we couple in endless increase as the audience admires
And the little white dove made with love, made with love made with glue and a glove and some pliers
Swings a low sickle arc from its perch in the dark, settle down, settle down my desire

And the moment I slept, I was swept up in a terrible tremor
Though no longer bereft, how I shook and I couldn't remember
And then the furthermost shake, drove a murdering stake in and cleft me right down through my center
And I shouldn't say so but I know that it was then or never

Push me back into a tree
Bind my buttons with salt
And fill my long ears with bees
Braying, "Please, please, please
Oh you ought not, no you ought not"

And then the system of strings tugs on the tip of my wings cut from cardboard and old magazines makes me warble and rise like a sparrow
And in the place where I stood, there is a circle of wood, a cord or two, which you chop and you stack in your barrow
And it is terribly good to carry water and chop wood streaked with soot, heavy booted, and wild-eyed
As I crash through the rafters and the ropes and the pulleys trail after and the holiest belfry burns sky high

And then a slow lip of fire moves across the prairie with precision
While somewhere with your pliers and glue, you make your first incision
And in a moment of almost unbearable vision, doubled over with the hunger of lions
"Hold me close," cooed the dove, who was stuffed now with sawdust and diamonds

I wanted to say, "Why the long face?"
Sparrow perch and play songs of long face
Burro buck and bray songs of long face
Sing, "I will swallow your sadness and eat your cold clay just to lift your long face
And though it may be madness, I will take to the grave your precious long face
And though our bones they may break and our souls separate, why the long face?
And though our bodies recoil from the grip of the soil, why the long face?"

And in the trough of the waves
Which are pawing like dogs
Pitch we, pale-faced and grave
As I write in my log

Then I hear a noise from the hull
Seven days out to sea
And it is the damnable bell
And it tolls, well I believe, that it tolls
It tolls for me and it tolls for me

And though my wrists and my waist seem so easy to break still my dear I'd have walked you to the edge of the water
And they will recognize all the lines of your face in the face of the daughter, of the daughter, of my daughter
And darling we will be fine but what was yours and mine appears to me a sandcastle that the gibbering wave takes
But if it's all just the same then will you say my name? Say my name in the morning so that I know when the wave breaks

I wasn't born of a whistle or milked from a thistle at twilight
No, I was all horns and thorns, sprung out fully formed, knock-kneed and upright
So enough of this terror we deserve to know light and grow evermore lighter and lighter
You would have seen me through but I could not undo that desire

Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh desire
Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh desire
Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh desire, oh

Desire, desire
Desire, desire

From the top of the flight of the wide white stairs
Through the rest of my life, do you wait for me there?





Other Lyrics by Artist

Rand Lyrics

Last Posts

Newsom, Joanna Sawdust & Diamonds Comments
  1. n.... n....

    que letra bb

  2. m.... ....

    How did I go from listening to this at 16 to Lil Pump at 26???

  3. E.... A....

    I have to post this on my Facebook page, Please Match my adoration for this artist with a welcome "Yes!!!" to bring this beauty to my page!!! Please...!!!

  4. R.... G....

    I am new here, and her singing sounds to me like mix of Ane Brun and little bit of Bjork. Is it common comparison or is it just me?

  5. T.... I....

    This is honestly one of the most beautiful and close to perfect songs of all time. I don’t even know how else to put it. . . . Its a perfect culmination of: Joanna’s heavenly and unique voice. . . . . Some of the most poetic words that cut me with razor sharp precision in my heart and soul while giving me goose bumps and hair standing straight of my skin. . . . . . and of course the music itself. The song has so many parts like a story, a book...and even with all its changes, each part transitions to the next as smooth and natural feeling as water moving.
    Not many songs has done what this song has to me....... and the others that do are on a very small list. This is up there with Radiohead’s, “Pyramid Song” and “How to disappear completely”.
    Thank you for this song Joanna.......It truly is a gift that is priceless..... one that has made a difference in my life for the better and one I could not imagine not having so close to my heart.

  6. C.... S....

    This is about a miscarriage, right?

  7. A.... i....

    God I wish everyone/ more people at least, could listen and understand this music. I wish the people I knew could have the patience to listen to it.

  8. f.... !....

    i love how newsoms songs evoke such emotion and such unanimous yet unique emotions for so many people. i like how most people can agree that when she sings 'and then a slow lip of fire moves across the prairie with precision' it's like riding a subway train straight into the next dimension

  9. A.... C....

    8:27 wow great lyrics

  10. I.... R....

    This song reminds me that despite all the fear and sadness i face, I’m not made of it. I’m made of strong, courageous and beautiful things. One of my favorite songs ever. Pure art.

  11. L.... D....

    I like to think when she says “if it’s all just the same, will you say my name say my name” it’s a special little shoutout to Destiny’s Child

  12. R.... V....

    I wish her music were on spotify :(

    R.... V....

    It is on Tidal!

  13. S.... O....

    I recently read the album was partly centered around the death of her best friend, is this song about that friend? When she says “From the top of the white stairs, do you wait for me there?” I feel like it might be talking about her friend in heaven, waiting for her.

  14. _.... ....

    Everyone says this song is about life and death but when I listen it I think about relationships and how we give ourselves to people through love and we put our fate in their hands.

    _.... ....

    i see no difference between these two interpretations

  15. s.... f....

    oh my god I've heard this hundreds of times and still...tears and goosebumps every time! a masterful artist.

  16. b.... ....

    Fuck me up Joanna.

  17. K.... S....

    No other artist (that I've discovered) can make me cry like this

  18. A.... S....

    My heart hurts 💔

  19. R.... S....

    4:39 when the harp does that thing

  20. b.... ....

    c'est Björk en + haut !

  21. J.... C....

    First song that ever made me cry

  22. K.... C....

    my heart & hair raise

  23. B.... C....

    When I hear this music, I hear what I love.

  24. l.... ....

    every time, the moment the verse starts "and the slow lip of fire moves across the prairie with precision..." tears just shoot out of my face, this song hits me harder than anything I've ever encountered in my life

    l.... ....

    llama this song makes me cry too ☺

    l.... ....

    that’s where i cry too

  25. P.... ....

    what a gorgeous song

  26. s.... ....

    Although I prefer the live versions of this on youtube, this is still a great version and the fact that you've got the words as well helps me really focus. One of my favourite Joanna songs ever. This, only skin and cosmia are my three favourites among a host of favourites from this wonderful young lady!

  27. s.... ....

    this song seems nice but i just cant get on her board.... she's a fiona wanna be

    s.... ....

    They don't sound alike at all. I've loved both for a very long time. Separate entities, both are owed their own respects.

    s.... ....

    Look I love Fiona Apple dearly, they are different artists and while both are known for fantastic lyrics their approaches to songwriting are completely different

    s.... ....

    melted dali exactly! you can't compare them because their lyrical content is so different yet so damn good. definitely two of my favorite female artists.

    s.... ....

    Fiona? Her music is honestly fairly polar opposite of Fiona's (i'm not referring to quality)

    s.... ....

    Yer quite the dullard

  28. M.... M....

    8:19 fuck yes

  29. K.... T....

    To be honest, I kinda think this song is very tedious...

  30. S.... R....

    Who else can't help but cry to this?

    S.... R....

    Every time. This and Baby Birch

    S.... R....

    "Be at peace, baby... and be gone"

    S.... R....

    I heard this when I was 30 and started sobbing and hadn't cried in 10 years since my dad died

    S.... R....

    like a shout-spring

  31. s.... ....

    low key masterpiece u g h

    s.... ....

    *cough* [every song on Ys]

    s.... ....

    so is sadie

  32. K.... K....

    @seamouse
    You mean Deus Ex Machina.

  33. m.... ....

    koje kmice moraju biti ove ew ewwwwwwwww

  34. L.... K....

    It's kind of incredible how Joanna can explain something so huge a topic as life and death and still do it justice. Amazing.

  35. g.... ....

    Not getting too melodramatic, but I downloaded leaks before this released and it was kinda better. She used to sob uncontrollably while performing this song and then they told her that was bad for some reason.

    g.... ....

    +gibberconfirm I would LOVE to have a copy if you'd message me.

    g.... ....

    +gibberconfirm Oh my god I love her so much :')

    g.... ....

    I realize you posted this a year ago... but would it be possible for you to upload those songs here on Youtube? I think a lot of fans would be very happy to hear those!

    g.... ....

    the only live performance i've seen of this song, she was crying by the end.

    g.... ....

    rreally'???? those leaks outtakes still exist ??

  36. P.... X....

    The reason she sounds so good is because you can relate to her voice. The average jo hasn't got a smooth tone. Plus she has emotion and drama

  37. A.... R....

    bjork brought me here

  38. d.... ....

    I was listening to this with my wife, and Joana sang "why the long face? And though our bodies recoil from the grip of the soil, why the long face?" and my wife replied "Because I'm a horse!".  I can't listen to this song without laughing now :)

    d.... ....

    it's a donkey, though!

  39. A.... F....

    this is fucking good jesus

    A.... F....

    +Alex Foo Omg eva khatchadourian

  40. E.... W....

    such an amazing song......

  41. d.... c....

    just kill me now

    d.... c....

    and me too.

    d.... c....

    She sounds like a kid having a tantrum!

    d.... c....

    @Noah AL i believe they're referring to the song's emotional tax, not bashing her vocals.

  42. O.... B....

    Her voice is unique and different. Peaceful, yet disturbing. If you listen to all ten minutes, you have a 78.7% chance of auditory hallucinations.

    O.... B....

    Very good point! First time I heard this song was on a rainy day, on the bus, on my way to university, on headset. It felt very casual on the ear, then I felt exactly like that! Auditory hallucination.

  43. B.... J....

    All my favorite singers couldn't sing - Silver Jews

  44. B.... S....

    okay just wondering, does anyone else think she sounds just like "The Tiny"? or is it just me?
    P.s this song is absolutely beautiful

  45. A.... B....

    say my name in the 'mourning'

    so I know when the wave breaks

  46. L.... ....

    My favorite by far, although i love almost all of her music.

  47. a.... ....

    Stupid? Hm.

  48. D.... D....

    As much as I want to like this...this is stupid and not entertaining to me at all.

  49. d.... ....

    Joanna thank you for DARING to be SOO DIFFERENT than anything out there. Your lyricals are unique to you throughout all music, poetry, and prose in all lands and through all time.It must have been SOO scary to perform music like this to popcorn Americans but your are appreciated by many. Relish the criticisms of the common about your wonderful voice. She sings about things that artists no longer sing about and she does the singing the music and the composing.

    d.... ....

    daWaatcher1 I literally had my face buried in a bag of popcorn as I was reading this comment. Damn, you caught me lmao!

  50. f.... ....

    I cry my heart out every time I listen to this album 'til I can't see and my hands are trembling.

  51. E.... ....

    I know almost all of her songs word for word, I love her music.

  52. f.... ....

    well, it seems there are different definitions in english and german (that's where I come from), although there also are several sub-definitions one of which might suit yours als well as mine. english wiki says: "a melodic or harmonic configuration that creates a sense of repose or resolution."
    it also says "A harmonic cadence is a progression of (at least) two chords that concludes a phrase, section, or piece of music", which is the meaning of "cadence" I learned at the university. ;)

  53. s.... ....

    Actually a cadence is only the chords used to resolve a a chord sequence not the whole sequence itself. For instance the 12 bar blues ends with a plagal cadence (IV-I)

  54. f.... ....

    hm, a cadence is actually always more than one chord; in fact it is defined as a sequence of chords in opposite to a single chord. the 12-bar-blues-scheme is a cadence, as well as the typical folk scheme I-IV-V-I. 8)

  55. s.... ....

    4/4 is a time signature. A cadence is used to resolve a song at the end, usually it is just one chord.

  56. S.... ....

    are you mistaking the little jump her voice does between registers for autotune? because she replicates that little warble in live videos, check out the 2006 live recording at the unitarian church in pennsylvania on youtube. she sings it perfectly there, i don't see why they'd need to use autotune on the album. and in an interview she said they've only ever used autotune once, on a single flute note in Have One On Me, lol

  57. H.... ....

    She's still a great artist. Just sayin'.

  58. H.... ....

    Unfortunately, her voice has been Autotuned on this song. Sorry to be the one to break that to you -- disappointing, I know.

    H.... ....

    ChillyCheezItz uh... No she isn't

  59. J.... ....

    you are correct, but even if a person's lack of understanding is frustrating, try to educate rather than patronize. you're more likely to shut out logical explanations and think with a closed mind if you are being talked down to.

  60. S.... P....

    I think I'd enjoy it more if it didn't sound like she was gulping her vowels the whole time. Beautiful instrumentals, clearly an amazing musician. Just not my cup of tea.

  61. J.... C....

    She's playing counter-rhythms.

  62. S.... f....

    she lacks rhythm and needs to keep tempo. just some constructive criticism

  63. S.... ....

    480p you guys.

  64. N.... C....

    One of the best songs she's ever written/composed/produced in my opinion. This is Joanna at her best.

    N.... C....

    Ys is pretty fucking tight as a whole though, I'm not sure you can say one song or another is better than the rest. Hell, I even really love Monkey and Bear after years of skipping it.

  65. J.... C....

    Thoroughly agree!!

  66. W.... ....

    Her voice is okay until she starts that squeaking. The song good but the squeaky shit gives me a headache

    W.... ....

    Woopycushiun that's ur opinion. I like her voice and singing style i dipshit. Think ur opinion are some fa ct of life that everyone should have to succumb to hear

    W.... ....

    @travelsofablackrose shut the fuck up everyone has their own opinion and right to express it. I love her voice but it the sibilants can be piercing at times. But it's worth it.

  67. W.... P....

    Shes perfect inside her imperfection

  68. m.... ....

    Where are they playing Joanna Newsom on the Radio? I am shocked.

  69. o.... ....

    Listening to this late at night on the radio, I am so glad I stayed awake to hear the name of the song

  70. m.... ....

    gotta move to new canons people.this is why

  71. D.... E....

    I think her voice is magnificent, not something to ignore in deference to the lyrics. It's the old "Bob Dylan can't sing argument," rehashed. We all sing, we all dance, why exile such things to plastic "professionals"?

    D.... E....

    people be doing things huh david

  72. b.... ....

    See the wires, the wires, the wires

  73. s.... a....

    this is brown stuff mang

  74. t.... ....

    I like your style.

  75. N.... ....

    id hit it

  76. h.... ....

    one of the best songs i've ever heard!

  77. t.... ....

    My god, I really do think I'm in love with Joanna Newsom, she's beautiful.

  78. L.... D....

    I remember the night I first heard Joanna sing. It was 1 AM, mid-July, my dearest friend on Skype urging me to listen to Sawdust and Diamonds. I still was unused to her voice, but I tried it out.
    I just sat on my bed, half-alive, her voice winding tales of things I've never heard but were so, so, familiar to me. The emptiness at the end of each of her songs is the one thing that could ever bring me back to reality.

  79. e.... r....

    this makes me feel close to understanding the meaning of life

  80. m.... ....

    her voice sounds impeccable to my punk rock ears

  81. N.... ....

    who started all this shit about her voice being sub par... this girl makes me wanna cry every time i hear her music, her voice is the most beautiful thing ive heard since i can remember so anyone who wants to bash on sumthing that incredible doesnt know jack shit about beauty, this girl is magic, i love you joanna newsom

  82. J.... D....

    i was all horns and thorns

  83. T.... A....

    @DarthBriannaWeasley Tacking an overused Justin Bieber joke on the end there just proved how little your opinion matters.

  84. D.... ....

    Please make it stop. Make it stop please. Her voice makes me want to drink cod liver oil and the lyrics make just about as much sense as Justin Bieber being straight.

  85. L.... D....

    I love this because her voice isn't this picture perfect ringing bell. It's strange and somewhat unnatural.
    I love that because somehow this, along with the beautiful harp and I'm just calmed by the sound. It feels like things I've known for hundreds of years and thing I've yet to discover.

  86. a.... ....

    and the little white dove made with love, made with love, made with glue, and a glove, and some pliers

  87. s.... ....

    There's a tremendous amount of meaning in this song when you look at it through the idea of a Deus Ex Machine. A machine used in a play that comes in as the hand of God or fate. There's a tremendous amount of imagery of stage mechanics---her as a fake bird being controlled by strings, being pulled up and down by a church bell. The real and fake, God and fate, life and death, etc.

    I just discovered this song yesterday, so I'm still working through it. But, it is beautiful.

  88. S.... M....

    This song is profound.

  89. e.... r....

    this is the single most poetic thing i have heard in my entire life. She plays on my heartstrings.

  90. S.... U....

    She's considering her musical existence, her physical existence and what comes at the end. You just need to let it seep into you - there's no obvious comprehension; it just happens over time.

  91. H.... M....

    @TheyStopWar You say it doesn't make sense - but actually a great comment. My gf always listens to the words n a song and doesn't like Newsome so much - I always listen to the music and ignore the words, and I think this is great.

    I had an initial sick feeling about the voice, but the music and imagination on display just seem to me to be quite unusual

  92. v.... ....

    yes, yes, this song is very beautiful. but can anyone explain the meaning of the lyrics to me please?

  93. m.... s....

    heroine please

  94. l.... ....

    @kaysoncashashley its from my ass

  95. C.... A....

    Does anyone know where the image at the very beginning of the video is from?

  96. S.... P....

    @missygreendaychimp

    Emily
    Monkey & Bear
    Sawdust & Diamonds
    Only Skin
    Cosmia

  97. L.... M....

    Okay, if there is anyone that has the ablum 'Ys' would it be possible for you to send me a message with the track listiing? I can't find it anywhere on google, and if I do, it only comes up with the first disk track list and provided that the information on this video is correct, there is clearly more tracks that I can't find the name of. Thanks in advance/anyway!

  98. M.... G....

    I don't know why but this thought just occurred to me..if Joni Mitchell had passed away this would certainly be her modern reincarnation.I've heard a lot of music in 44 years..but I can't begin to wrap my head around this. It's staggering on so many levels.