Mother Tongue

The street beneath my feet

Is paved with rows of gold

Or so I'm told (so I'm told)

The sky before my eyes is never colour grey

Or so they say

I guess I've known the truth since I was pretty young

That I never knew my mother's mother tongue

I'll fake all of my words till they point out to me

The crowds of purple orchid flowers

I can't see

I'll play along with borrowed chords until they shine

They're still not mine (still not mine)

I'll breathe all of these postcards in until they land

Still second-hand

She gave me half my bones and made me one my lungs

But the same cold air is filling both of them

Meanwhile, a crocodile points out what's left behind

The field of yellow daffodils you tried

But couldn't find

I've known since I was pretty young

I never knew my mother's mother tongue

I've known since I was pretty young

I never knew my mother's mother tongue

I'm putting on a smile made out of Plasticine

And looking clean