Pale Compromises

Commentary:
While I was living in Bologna, I set an Alfred Lord Tennyson poem-- "Break, Break, Break" to music, somehow I just heard the way it should sound. It was I think the first song I ever wrote. Eventually the poem sort of tried to turn itself into a Hank Williams song ("Take these Chains from my heart" comes to mind), which is this one.

Lyrics:
Break, Break, Break
The heart that you've stolen from me
and teach my poor soul to cut loose from
the thoughts that just won't let me be

Oh I miss you in early septembers
I miss you but I know that it's wrong
like a fire's slow-dying embers
my love still shines weak in this song

Break, Break, Break
The heart that you've stolen from me
and teach my poor soul to cut loose from
the thoughts that just won't let me be

Why bury dry leaves in a scrapbook?
Why pine for the things that I've lost?
All the fears and the tears and the crap took
from having my heart as my boss

Break, Break, Break
The heart that you've stolen from me
and teach my poor soul to cut loose from
the thoughts that just won't let me be

Oh, I bet that you think that it's over
And I bet that you think that you've won
Oh, I wish I could make myself hate you
but somehow I can't get it done

Break, Break, Break
The heart that you've stolen from me
and teach my poor tongue to utter
the words that will set me free