Joni Mitchell — The Hissing of Summer Lawns

[Verse 1] He bought her a diamond for her throat He put her in a ranch house on a hill She could see the valley barbecues From her window sill See the blue pools in the squinting sun Hear the hissing of summer lawns [Verse 2] He put up a barbed wire fence To keep out the unknown And on every metal thorn Just a little blood of his own She patrols that fence of his to a Latin drum And the hissing of summer lawns [Chorus] Darkness, wonder makes it easy Darkness, with a joyful mask Darkness, tube's gone, darkness, darkness, darkness No color, no contrast [Verse 3] A diamond dog carrying a cup and a cane Looking through a double glass Looking at too much pride and too much shame There's a black fly buzzing There's a heat wave burning in her master's voice Hissing summer lawns [Verse 4] He gave her his darkness to regret And good reason to quit him He gave her a roomful of Chippendale that nobody sits in Still she stays with a love of some kind It's the lady's choice The hissing of summer lawns [Outro] Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness