A Lover In Berlin

Once I had a lover in Berlin
Said a frail old woman from a table next to mine
His voice was like an ancient violin
And he spoke to me - that voice ... that voice!
I believe they call it falling for a man
But this falling made me fly, left me soaring for the sky
There wasn't any sense, there was no plan
But who would trade this passion for the safety of dry land?
Not I
Not he.

And we knew we had to travel far away
We knew we had to disappear, where no one else could find us
A sailing ship would take us from the bay
Its sails would fill with an offshore wind to blind us
We gambled our security - the future for the now
Sailed off toward the storm, safety cast aside
We'd gone beyond what reason would allow
But who could tame the tidal wave and tell it where to go?
Not I
Not you.

Reality then brought it to an end
Said the frail old woman, shaking underneath her hat
A decent set of values is no friend
It's reason now that blinds us, please believe!
And passion is not willing to be steered
Purity alone won't fill a ship's wide sails
Life will sometimes bring what we most feared
And who could ever say when to go or when to stay?
Not you
Not we.