05/06/2025
“I married Isis on the fifth day of May
But I could not hold on to her very long
So I cut off my hair and I rode straight away
For the wild unknown country
Where I could not go wrong
I came to a high place of darkness and light
Dividing line ran through the center of town
I hitched up my pony to a post on the right
Went in to a laundry
To wash my clothes down
A man in the corner approached me for a match
I knew right away he was not ordinary
He said, are you lookin' for somethin' easy to catch
Said, I got no money,
He said, that ain't necessary
We set out that night for the cold in the North
I gave him my blanket and he gave me his word
I said, where are we goin', he said we'd be back by the fourth
I said, that's the best news
That I've ever heard
I was thinkin' about turquoise, I was thinkin' about gold
I was thinkin' about diamonds and the world's biggest necklace
As we rode through the canyons, through the devilish cold
I was thinkin' about Isis,
How she thought I was so reckless
How she told me that one day we would meet up again
And things would be different the next time we wed
If I only could hang on and just be her friend
I still can't remember
All the best things she said
We came to the pyramids all embedded in ice
He said, there's a body I'm tryin' to find
If I carry it out it'll bring a good price
'Twas then that I knew
What he had on his mind
The wind it was howlin' and the snow was outrageous
We chopped through the night and we chopped through the dawn
When he died I was hopin' that it wasn't contagious
But I made up my mind
That I had to go on
I broke into the tomb, but the casket was empty
There was no jewels, no nothin', I felt I'd been had
When I saw that my partner was just bein' friendly
When I took up his offer
I must-a been mad
I picked up his body and I dragged him inside
Threw him down in the hole and I put back the cover
I said a quick prayer and I felt satisfied
Then I rode back to find Isis
Just to tell her I love her
She was there in the meadow where the creek used to rise
Blinded by sleep and in need of a bed
I came in from the East with the sun in my eyes
I cursed her one time
Then I rode on ahead
She said, where ya been? I said, no place special
She said, you look different, I said, well, I guess
She said, you been gone, I said, that's only natural
She said, you gonna stay?
I said, if you want me to, yes
Isis, oh, Isis, you mystical child
What drives me to you
Is what drives me insane
I still can remember
The way that you smiled
On the fifth day of May
In the drizzlin' rain.”
Photo at Niagara Falls, NY, by Ken Regan (1975)
