words and music by Arlo Guthrie



It's the tenth of January

And I still ain't had no sleep

She comes waItzing in the nighttime

Made of wings

She is dressed up like a bandit

With a hundred sparkling rings

Looking for my company to keep

Coming closer to me

She doesn't say a word

In the shadow of the carved rock tower

Where the sounds of the night

Were the only things we heard

In my darkest hour



She don't want to hear no secrets

She would guarantee me that

She knows there ain't no words

That can describe her

With her white silk scarves

And her black Spanish hat

She knows there ain't no way I can deny her

Yes her blue velvet perfume

Filling up the night

The guards are all asleep

That watch the tower

The moon light held her breast

As she easily undressed

In my darkest hour



Her father's in his chambers with his

Friends all gathered 'round

They are plotting their enemy's demise

With their last detail done

They await the coming sun

While I am staring in my lover's eyes

Her brothers and her sisters

Are all through for tonight

Pretending that they've just

Come into power

But she far most of all, knows that they

Can only fall

In my darkest hour



Hungry wings; their melodies

While my love awakens me

In the midst of the sunburst first light

Her hands are holding up the skies

As I hid my opened eyes

Every move just for herself

And that's so right

Soon I went along my way

With no words that could explain

As she began descending to the tower

Her safety now concerns me

Her circumstance to blame

In my darkest hour