Sad Stephen's Song

And there were mermaids, weren't there? Sweet, silver mermaids All through that gray Trafalgar square Such silver mermaids And they were young and they were fair They brushed their bronze and dusky hair And whispered, "Come, sad Stephen Come and play here" "You will love, you will be loved You will grow up and do so much You will be strong, you will be sung By all the mermaids, silver mermaids" And once they'd sung their satin song They beckoned to me from the fog They spread their arms and lifted Pale portrait faces, I was taken To their coral cavern halls To rooms with oyster shells for walls To sandy nooks, pearly books and ivory dolls In ivory stalls, in ivory stalls And there were mermaids, weren't there? Sweet, silver mermaids All through that wan, forgotten square Silver mermaids They were young and they were fair And they brushed their bronze and dusky hair And whispered, "Come, sad Stephen, come" And I was taken Was I wrong? Should I have run? I wanted all, I wanted young And portrait faces, I was taken Did I love? I didn't care Did I grow up? Well, unaware And was I strong? And was I sung? How do I haunt Trafalgar fog? And find I want so much, still want And no more mermaids No more mermaids And no more mermaids