Mrs. Potter's Lullaby

Album: This Desert Life (1999)
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  • Well I woke up in mid-afternoon cause that's when it all hurts the most
    I dream I never know anyone at the party and I'm always the host
    If dreams are like movies, then memories are films about ghosts
    You can never escape, you can only move south down the coast

    Well, I am an idiot walking a tightrope of fortune and fame
    I am an acrobat swinging trapezes through circles of flame
    If you've never stared off into the distance then your life is a shame
    And though I'll never forget your face,
    Sometimes I can't remember my name

    Hey Mrs. Potter don't cry
    Hey Mrs. Potter I know why but
    Hey Mrs. Potter won't you talk to me

    Well, there's a piece of Maria in every song that I sing
    And the price of a memory is the memory of the sorrow it brings
    And there is always one last light to turn out and one last bell to ring
    And the last one out of the circus has to lock up everything

    Or the elephants will get out and forget to remember what you said
    And the ghosts of the tilt-a-whirl will linger inside of your head
    And the Ferris wheel junkies will spin them forever instead
    When I see you a blanket of stars covers me in bed

    Hey Mrs. Potter don't go
    I said hey Mrs. Potter I don't know but
    Hey Mrs. Potter won't you talk to me

    All the blue light reflections that color my mind when I sleep
    And the lovesick rejections that accompany the company I keep
    All the razor perceptions that cut just a little too deep
    Hey I can bleed as well as anyone, but I need someone to help me sleep

    So I throw my hand into the air and it swims in the beams
    It's just a brief interruption of the swirling dust sparkle jet stream
    Well, I know I don't know you and you're probably not what you seem
    Aw, but I'd sure like to find out
    So why don't you climb down off that movie screen

    Hey, Mrs. Potter, don't turn
    Hey, Mrs. Potter, I burn for you
    Hey, Mrs. Potter, won't you talk to me

    When the last king of Hollywood shatters his glass on the floor
    And orders another. well, I wonder what he did that for
    That's when I know that I have to get out cause
    I have been there before
    So I gave up my seat at the bar and I head for the door. Yeah.
    We drove out to the desert just to lie down beneath this bowl of stars
    We stand up in the Palace,
    Like it's the last of the great pioneer town bars
    Aw, we shout out these songs against the clang of electric guitars
    Well, you can see a million miles tonight
    But you can't get very far
    Aw, you can see a million miles tonight
    But you can't get very far

    Hey, Mrs. Potter, I won't touch and
    Hey, Mrs. Potter, it's not much but
    Hey, Mrs. Potter, won't you talk to me
    Hey, Mrs. Potter, won't you talk to me
    Hey, Mrs. Potter, won't you talk to me Writer/s: ADAM FREDRIC DURITZ, BEN G MIZE, CHARLES THOMAS GILLINGHAM, DANIEL JOHN VICKREY, DAVID LYNN BRYSON, MATTHEW MARK MALLEY
    Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 11

  • Hugh from Oxford, Oxfordshire, United KingdomWow. I have not heard this song for a long time.
    Funny how time flys. I have some good memories and some not so great memories associated with not only the song but the musical group as well.
  • Brian from Boston, MaThis is a great song.I hear influences of Van Morrison in this song.Ican't listen to this though because it reminds me a real tough time in my life
  • Jeff from Charleston, ScAs someone who generally isn't a fan of relatively modern music (most of my favorites are from the 70's) I loved this song- so well written. I love the lyrics, especially

    "And the price of a memory is the memory of the sorrow it brings"

    It brought a tear to my eye the first time I heard it while I was driving to work one morning... I immediately began to think of so much from my past that I wished I could do over...

  • Jonny from New Bedford,"You can see a million miles tonight,but you can't get very far" how many hours a day do most of us do this? Dream envision the places we'd love to see or the things we'd love to do yet "can't" do any of them...
  • Alice from São Paulo, BrazilI'm seriously considering tatooing ''Always one last light to turn out and one last bell to ring'' on my back
  • Andy from Leeds, United KingdomThis song became a soundtrack to my life whilst I was working away from home in Barcelona one summer, the words are superb, one day I'll get to the Palace and have a drink with the last king of Hollywood.
  • William from Las Cruces, NmThe movie star is Monica Potter.
  • Alberto from Carpi, ItalyA masterpiece, like many songs by Counting Crows. The melody is so sweet, and lyrics are pure poetry. "When I see you a blanket of stars covers me in my bed..."
  • John from Dublin, IrelandThe lyrics are amazing. "If you've never stared off into the distance then your life is a shame." Well, he's right you know!
  • Beth from Livonia, MiIt is a brilliant song, John, the first time i heard it i completely tuned out and just imagined everything that it was describing. Completely amazing.
  • John from Cleveland, TnProbably one of the best songs from the Counting Crows, atleast, IMHO. I love the song, the lyrics, the flow of the music. Just great song. Almost like you don't want it to end, but you want to hit repeat when it does end.
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