Between the lines

There's never much to say between the moments of
our games and repartee
There's never much to read between the lines of
what we need and what we'll take
There's never much to talk about or say aloud,
but say it anyway
Of holidays and yesterdays, and broken dreams
that somehow slipped away

In books and magazines on how to be and what to see
while you are being
Before and after photographs teach how to pass
from reaching to believing
We live beyond our means on other people's dreams
and that's succeeding
Between the lines of photographs I've seen the past --
it isn't pleasing

So strike another match
We'll have another cup of wine
And dance until the evening's dead
Of too much song and time
There's never much to talk about
Or read between the lines
Of what we dream about
When we're apart
And no one's looking on
To say you're mine

It was a good year then, it was a good year then,
we all remember
The time you threw the looking glass and seemed a fool
or very clever
Don't spoil it all, I can't recall a time when you were
struck without an answer
We'll live a quiet peaceful time between the lines
and go together

And I'm striking up the band to play our last hurrah
We'll dance until we've killed another evening off
Don't think of anyone but me
I'll have no lovers on the side
Tonight is all we've ever dreamed about
For once let's get it right
We'll go down flying in the end
Through another bottle in between the lines
I'll go down like a ship of state
Let's be gracious now
Between the lines

Música © Janis Ian