Okkervil River - White Shadow Waltz Lyrics

Abandoned by all her admirers
Wild White Shadow Waltz
Stands alone on a stair down the hall
Just one slip from a trip and a fall

In a cold morning, holding her lighter
Wan White Shadow Waltz
Stirs, sputters and stalls
Wakes, wavers and walks right through her prison walls

She says, "The doorbell is ringing.
Go see who it is.
Our little island's sinking into mist..."

A day came, a night went, it lightened
An animal broke his way out
Moped through the scattering crowd
And crawled back to his circus shell

And circling the zoo's screaming clients
Was White Shadow Waltz
Deaf to their torn breaths and calls
Wait, take a look closer... hey, he's hardly moving at all

She says, "There's someone is knocking.
Go see who it is.
Our little world is shaking...
I guess our little world is breaking..."

In the presence of all our despisers
We'll falter and crawl to the bed
The world is a black shadow bled
And what is this tune in my head?

She says:
"It's just the white wind when it whimpers.
It's just the black rain when it squalls.
It's just white meat whistling a waltz.
It's just nine hands wiping a white shadow off of the walls."