Ithica

Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Robert Hunter

The fifth part of Robert Hunter's Amagamalin Street Suite - the beginning of Part Two.

The lady was born in Ithica, twenty-three years ago
Wait until the sun shines and the chariot swings low
Go ahead and hitch your line in the time it takes to tell
Hold tight and ride it right, it'll always serve you well

You know, you keep coming back
In the wind of a dream or two
What could I do?

We met on Amagamalin Street a year ago last night
She was with a friend of mime who never treated anyone right
Being as much of a gentleman as my Denver soul permits
I tipped the hat I later lost and there was an end to it

But no, she kept coming back
In the wind of a dream or two
What could I do?

I saw my friend nearly every night, he was drinking himself insane
I once asked how the lady was, he couldn't recollect her name
Which might not seem so strange if they didn't live together
That is, he lived off of her, his real home was the gutter (note 1)

What could I do?

I wasn't raised to rip off friends, I'm low, not out the bottom
Odd beginnings have common ends, ask the ones who brought 'em
It's not like he needed her to save him from disaster
That's not exactly how it is with a thrird-rate punch-drunk bastard

She kept coming back
On the wings of a dream
What could I do?
What could I do?

I had eyes for a full-time scene but her words didn't fit my song
I understood that all out front, she never led me on
The truth is: her crossed gray eyes made it easy to do wrong
Thinking back I realize I was doing it all along

The way she kept coming back
On the winds of a dream or two
What could I do?
What could I do?

This begins Part Two, which is Murphy's narration. He speaks of Maggie and of the circumstances that, depsite his friendship for Chet, caused him to try to win her away. This song begins a series of flashbacks that continues until the last song.