Harlow's Blues

Harlow’s on a boat to somewhere new
Harlow’s on a boat to somewhere far away from you
She’d sail the seven seas
She’d climb the highest trees
Harlow’s on a boat to somewhere new

Harlow had a promising career
She wrote short stories about a sturdy mountaineer
She came from the mountains
To a place that never sleeps
Harlow had a promising career

She had stories to share
She had braids in her hair
She had eyes like the ocean was at night
She was drunk on your love
She was high up above
She came down like a sudden lightning strike

Harlow, I know
(I count the waves between us)
(Dotted lines on a yellowed map)
(I count the waves between us)

Harlow thought you were the one for her
You’d always ask what she wanted or preferred
You praised her above all
But made her world so small
Harlow was your precious little bird
Harlow had no friends outside the house
She slowly turned into a quiet little mouse
She was always a fighter
But your hold grew ever tighter
Until Harlow had no life outside the house

Harlow, I know
(I count the waves between us)
(Dotted lines on a yellowed map)
(I count the waves between us)
(The road you paved; it was not mine)

Your jealousy stretched out onto the pages of her book
And she had to close the chapter from you
(What would you do?)
Your embrace, once so full of love
Was growing into a cage
With bars of flesh

Harlow had her final book in mind
The grey in her hair showed her this must be the time
She had one story left to tell
She didn’t care if it would sell
‘cause Harlow had her vengeance in her mind