All The World Is Green

All The World's Green
(Blood Money studio version, 2002)
I fell into the ocean
When you became my wife
I risked it all against the sea
To have a better life
Marie you are the wild blue sky
And men do foolish things
You turn kings into beggars
And beggars into kings
Pretend that you owe me nothing
And all the world is green
We can bring back the old days again
But all the world is green
The face forgives the mirror
The worm forgives the plow(2)
The question begs the answer
Can you forgive me somehow
Maybe when our story's over
We'll go where it's always spring
The band is playing our song again
And all the world is green
Pretend that you owe me nothing
And all the world is green
Pretend we can bring back the old days again
But all the world is green
The moon is yellow silver(4)
On the things that summer brings
It's a love you'd kill for
And all the world is green
He's balancing a diamond
On a blade of grass(3)
The dew will settle on our grave
And all the world is green
Pretend that you owe me nothing
And all the world is green
We can bring back the old days again
But all the world is green
He's balancing a diamond
On a blade of grass
The dew will settle on our graves
And all the world is green
Official release: Blood Money, Epitaph/ Anti Inc., 2002
Arrangements and lyrics published in "Tom Waits Blood Money" (Amsco Publications, 2002)
Notes:
(1) Sung as a duet by Woyzeck and Marie in act 3, scene 1
(2) The worm forgives the plow: Quoted from William Blake's Proverbs From Hell. Excerpt from "Proverbs of Hell" (William Blake: The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, c. 1790): "In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy. Drive your cart and your plough over the bones of the dead. The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom. Prudence is a rich, ugly old maid courted by Incapacity. He who desires but acts not, breeds pestilence. The cut worm forgives the plough. Dip him in the river who loves water. A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees. He whose face gives no light, shall never become a star. Eternity is in love with the productions of time."
(3) He is balancing a diamond on a blade of grass: Also mentioned in Bottom Of The World (Orphans, Brawlers, 2006): "Well, God's green hair is where I slept last He balanced a diamond on a blade of grass."
(4) Silver moon: Notice the same phrase being mentioned in: Drunk On the moon, 1974: "And the moon's a silver slipper, It's pouring champagne stars." The World Keeps Turning, 2001: "The world don't care and yet it clings to me, And the moon is gold and silvery." Flower's Grave, 2002: "Someday the silver moon and I, Will go to Dreamland.