Phosphorescent Lilies

Phosphorescent lilies on the surface of the water
 Forming floating constellations round the caravan
 The Gyptians rule the marshlands
 They can read them like the lines that trace
 The future in the creases of your palm
 They might not let us go but we'll be royalty
 The queen adopts her prisoners into the ancient clan
 If we submit to their initiation rites, and we survive
 They'll make us part of all their secret plans
 They say
 If you want to
 Stay
 There is a price to
 Pay
 A sacrifice to
 Make
 What will you cast away
 Cast away
 Round the circle goes the flask
 And hand to hand the pipe is passed
 Until we almost can't remember who we are
 Fireflies conspire with the lanterns on the fishing boats
 To let us float among the drunken stars
 We didn't mean to come here
 But we never want to go back home
 The children throw us silver after every song
 We'll learn to ply the waterways
 And serenade the cormorants
 We'll roll our cuffs and let our hair grow long
 They say
 If you want to
 Stay
 There is a price to
 Pay
 A sacrifice to
 Make
 What will you cast away
 They say
 Would you give up your pinky finger
 Stay
 A roof over your head
 Pay
 Your great great grandmother's wedding ring or
 Make
 Your comfortable bed
 They say
 Would you lose that precious memory
 Stay
 Of your first true love
 Pay
 Your house your home your family
 Make
 Your shaky faith in God above
 They say
 If you want to (A tooth an eye a kidney)
 Stay
 There is a price to (Your future unborn babe)
 Pay
 A sacrifice to (The last ten years of your short life)
 Make
 What will you cast away
 Cast away
 Crickets chirp and nightjars sing
 As fiddle bows meet fiddle strings
 The music's in a tongue we don't yet understand
 Jasmine blooms intoxicate
 The choice was never ours to make
 We're dizzy but
 We know we're safe (We're dizzy but)
 We're dizzy but (We know we're safe)
 We know we're safe (We're dizzy but)
 We're dizzy but (We know we're safe)
 We know we're safe (We're dizzy but)
 We know we're safe, we're dizzy but
 We know we're safe
 We're dizzy but
 We know we're safe
 We're dizzy but
 The dancers smile and take us by the hand