joni mitchell
the gift of the magic
I remember Monday rising up to pack his lunch We kissed goodbye saying What a foolish girl was I Saying, what a fool was she Near the store where I go shopping On display there was a golden watch chain All that week it had me stopping What a fool was she. Almost Christmas, we were so poor Where there was will There were ways I was sure In the paper written plain I saw an ad, I caught a train And sold my hair to buy the chain What a fool was she (and he says:) I remember Monday rising with her hair reflected in my eyes It caught the sun a million times What a fool was he In a window near the office was a comb of pearls and beads and tortoise Oh, the devil'd come to court us What a fool was he Almost Christmas, we were so poor Where there was will There were ways I was sure In the pawnshop coming home I stopped inquiring for a loan And sold the watch to buy the comb What a fool was he Christmas came up cold and glum There were no visions of sugar plums There were no joyous carols sung Oh, what fools were they He sat glaring at her bob As she lay weeping by a chain and fob And sadly burned the yule log And wise men lost their way Wisemen lose their way Merry Christmas Day.