THE FORTUNE TELLER'S HAND [Verse 1 — Playful, intimate] Down an old and crooked street, Where the sun and shadows meet, Sat a woman dressed in black, With a thousand years upon her back. She said, "Come, I'll tell your fate, Who you'll love and who will wait." I said, "Lady, here's my plan, Let me read your palm when you are done." [Pre-Chorus — Playful tension] She laughed and shook her silver head, "Are you a fortune teller?" she said. "No, my dear, I haven't a clue, But I'll invent a fate for you!" [Chorus — Catchy, theatrical] Oh, lady, lady, give me your hand, Tell me the things I don't understand. You read my future, I read your past, Who knew a little joke could last? Oh, lady, lady, where did you go? Into the sunlight, into the snow? I thought that I was fooling you, But who was fooling who? [Verse 2 — Lively, storytelling] She traced a river on my skin, Said a golden age would soon begin. A little sorrow, a little rain, Then love would find my door again. I paid her coins, she gave a smile, And let me hold her hand awhile. I whispered tales of coming years, Of hidden doors and ancient fears. [Pre-Chorus 2 — Growing suspense] Her fingers trembled in my own, Her face turned white as polished bone. She cried, "How could you ever know?" Then grabbed her things and turned to go. [Chorus — Full instrumentation] Oh, lady, lady, give me your hand, Tell me the things I don't understand. You read my future, I read your past, Who knew a little joke could last? Oh, lady, lady, where did you go? Into the sunlight, into the snow? I thought that I was fooling you, But who was fooling who? [Bridge — Music slows, mystery deepens] My darling came from the shop next door, And asked me what I was laughing for. I told her everything I'd seen, The old black dress, the eyes of green. She held my arm and whispered low, "There's something, darling, you should know. I watched you through the window glass... There was no woman when I passed." [Final Verse — Almost whispered] "No table, no cards, no silver rings, Just you alone, saying strange things. You held your hand against the air, And laughed as though somebody's there." I searched the street, I searched the square, But not a trace of her was there. Then in my pocket, cold and deep, The coins I'd paid were gone from me. [Final Chorus — Emotional, haunting] Oh, lady, lady, give me your hand, I'm lost between two different lands. You saw tomorrow in my skin, But did you see the world I'm in? Oh, lady, lady, tell me true, Was I the ghost, or was it you? I thought that I was fooling you, But who was fooling who? [Outro — Soft violin, fading accordion] Now every line upon my hand Looks like a road through shifting sand. And somewhere on that crooked street, An old woman laughs... At me.
