Lyrics

Spoken:
The sun, red and enormous, began to sink into the western sky and simultaneously the moon began to rise on the other side of the river with its own glorious shade of red, coming up out of trees like a russet firebird. The sun and the moon seem to acknowledge each other and they moved in both apposition and concordance in a breath taking dance of light across the oaks and the palm father watched it and I thought he would cry again. He had returned to the sea, and his heart was a low country heart.

African drums are silent and the Wingos are poets at last
Out on Dafuskie Island, the bulldozers bury the past
And the low country sinks
She cannot swim the dogwood feels the hurt
While the foursome plays on borrowed days
In their alligator shirts

Now I realize who killed the Prince of Tides
How can you tell how it used to be
When there’s nothing left to see

One night they put a price on the sunset
And that got the whole earth shakin’
Those rose from the grave both the weak and the brave
’Cause history was there for the makin’
And the winos surrounded the condos
Forming a frail human fence
And they shouted out loud to the roar of the crowd
“Same old story, more dollars than sense”

Now I realize who killed the Prince of Tides
How can you tell how it used to be
When there’s nothing left to see

Paperback novels make young girls dream and
Judy’s spending quieter days in the stream
With Giovinno, Goodman, Phil and Mac D
They were such good friends to me

Now I realize who killed the Prince of Tides
How can you tell how it used to be
When there’s nothing left to see

Heaven knows but God decides
Just when to kill the prince of tides

You can dance every dance
With the guy who gives you the eye
And wants to hold you tight
You can smile every smile
For the man who holds your hand
Beneath the pale moonlight
But dont forget who’s takin you home
And in whose arms youre gonna be
Save the last dance for me

And beach music, beach music, beach music, just plays on

Spoken:
The white porpoise comes to me at night, singing in the river of time, with a thousand dolphins in radiant attendance, bringing charismatic greetings from the prince of tides.