Lyrics For The Sake Of The Song - Townes Van Zandt

Oh, why does she sing
Her sad songs for me, I′m not the one
To tenderly bring her soft sympathy, I've just begun
To see my way clear
And it′s plain if I stop I will fall
I can lay down a tear for her pain
Just a tear and that's all
Oh, what does she want me to do?
She says that she knows
That moments are rare
I suppose that it's true
Then on she goes to say I don′t care
Oh, she knows that I do
Maybe she just has to sing
For the sake of the song
And who do I think that I am
To decide that she′s wrong
She'd like to think I was cruel
But she knows that′s a lie for I would be
No more than a tool
If I allowed her to cry all over me
Oh, my sorrow is real
Even though I can't change my plans
If she could see how I feel
Then I know that she′d understand
Oh, does she actually think I'm to blame?
Does she really believe that some word of mine
Could relieve all her pain?
Can′t she see that she grieves
Just because she's been blindly deceived by her shame?
Oh, maybe she just has to sing
For the sake of the song
And who do I think that I am
To decide that she's wrong
Oh, but nothin′s what it seems
Maybe she′ll start someday to realize
If she abandons her dreams
Then all the words she can say are only lies
Oh, why can't she see that to gain is only to lose?
All that she offers me are her chains and I got to refuse
Oh, but it′s only to herself that she's lied
She likes to pretend
There′s something that she should defend with her pride
And I don't intend
To stand here and be the friend
From whom she must hide
Oh, maybe she just has to sing
For the sake of the song
And who do I think that I am
To decide that she′s wrong