Nursery Cryme

Hermaphrodite: a flower containing both male and female organs; a person or animal of both sexes.

The child hermaphroditus was the son of hermes and aphrodite, the result of a secret love affair. for this reason he was entrusted to the nymphs of the isolated mount ida, who allowed him to gro
As a wild creature of the woods. after his encounter with the water-nymph salmacis, he laid a curse upon the water. according to fable, all persons who bathed in the water became hermaphrodites.



From a dense forest of tall dark pinewood,
Mount ida rises like an island.
Within a hidden cave, nymphs had kept a child;
Hermaphroditus, son of gods, so afraid of their love.

As the dawn creeps up the sky
The hunter caught sight of a doe.
In desire for conquest,
He found himself within a glade he'd not beheld before.

Hermaphroditus: narrator:
"where are you, my father? "then he could go no farther
Give wisdom to your son" now lost, the boy was guided by the sun"

And as his strength began to fail
He saw a shimmering lake.
A shadow in the dark green depths
Disturbed the strange tranquility.

Salmacis: narrator:
"the waters are disturbed "the waters are disturbed
Some creature has been stirred" naiad queen salmacis has been stirred"

As he rushed to quench his thirst,
A fountain spring appeared before him
And as his heated breath brushed through the cool mist,
A liquid voice called, "son of gods, drink from my spring".

The water tasted strangely sweet.
Behind him the voice called again.
He turned and saw her, in a cloak of mist alone
And as he gazed, her eyes were filled with the darkness of the lake.

Salmacis: narrator:
"we shall be one "she wanted them as one
We shall be joined as one" yet he had no desire to be one"

Hermaphroditus: "away from me cold-blooded woman
Your thirst is not mine"
Salmacis: "nothing will cause us to part
Hear me, o gods"

Unearthly calm descended from the sky
And then their flesh and bones were strangely merged
Forever to be joined as one.

The creature crawled into the lake.
A fading voice was heard:
"and i beg, yes i beg that all who touch this spring
May share my fate"

Salmacis: narrator:
"we are the one "the two are now made one,
We are the one" demi-god and nymph are now made one"

Both had given everything they had.
A lover's dream had been fulfilled at last,
Forever still beneath the lake.

Sunday at six when they close both the gates
A widowed pair,
Still sitting there,
Wonder if they're late for church
And it's cold, so they fasten their coats
And cross the grass, they're always last.

Passing by the padlocked swings,
The roundabout still turning,
Ahead they see a small girl
On her way home with a pram.

Inside the archway,
The priest greets them with a courteous nod.
He's close to god.
Looking back at days of four instead of two.
Years seem so few (four instead of two).
Heads bent in prayer
For friends not there.

Leaving twopence on the plate,
They hurry down the path and through the gate
And wait to board the bus
That ambles down the street.

Came the night a mist dissolved the trees
And in the broken light colours fly, fading by.
Pale and cold as figures fill the glade
Grey is the web they spin, on and on, and on and on.
Through the flame still summer lingers on
Though her pictures soon shatter.

All, always the same.
But there appears in the shades of dawning,
Though your eyes are dim,
All of the pieces in the sky.

There was once a harvest in this land.
Reap from the turquoise sky, harlequin, harlequin,
Dancing round, three children fill the glade,
Theirs was the laughter in the winding stream, and in between.
Close your door, the picture fades again
From the flames in the firelight.

All, always the same,
But there appears in the shades of dawning,
Though your eyes are dim,
All of the pieces in the sky.

All, all is not lost,
And light appears in the shades of dawning
When your eyes can see
Order the pieces, put them back, put them back.

News:

A well-known bognor restaurant-owner disappeared
Early this morning.
Last seen in a mouse-brown overcoat,
Suitably camouflaged,
They saw him catch a train.


Man-in-the-street:

"father of three its disgusting"
"such a horrible thing to do"
Harold the barrel cut off his toes and he served them all
For tea
"can't go far", "he can't go far".
"hasn't got a leg to stand on"
"he can't go far".


Man-on-the-spot:

I'm standing in a doorway on the main square
Tension is mounting
There's a restless crowd of angry people


Man-on-the-council:

"more than we've ever seen.
- had to tighten up security"

Over to the scene at the town hall
The lord mayor's ready to speak


Lord mayor:

"man of suspicion, you can't last long, the british public
Is on our side"


British public:

"can't last long", "you can't last long".
"said you couldn't trust him, his brother was just the same"
"you can't last long".


Harold:

If i was many miles from here,
I'd be sailing in an open boat on the sea
Instead i'm on this window ledge,
With the whole world below
Up at the window
Look at the window...


Mr.plod:
"we can help you"

Plod's chorus:
"we can help you"

Mr. plod:
"we're all your friends, if you come on down
And talk to us son"


Harold:
You must be joking
Take a running jump

The crowd was getting stronger and our harold
Getting weaker;
Forwards, backwards, swaying side to side
Fearing the very worst
They called his mother to the sight
Upon the ledge beside him
His mother made a last request.


67-yr-old mrs barrel:
"come off the ledge if your father were alive he'd be very,
Very, very upset.
"just can't jump, you just can't jump"
"your shirt's all dirty, there's a man here from
The b.b.c."
"you just can't jump"


Mr. plod:
"we can help you"

Plod's chorus:
"we can help you"

Mr. plod:
"we're all your friends, if you come on down
And talk to us harry"


Harold:
You must be joking.
Take a running jump......