You spoke softly, but with purpose I saw the tired in your face As you recounted me your nightmares And your need to leave this place And your struggles with the Sandman And your desperate search for grace Oh, how you longed for peaceful sleep I lied there, listening, half awake
I cried two tears that night So big they filled up all the seas Now come and join me on this bed And we'll sail anywhere you please Please stay awake, at least a while longer
It's getting dark now, but I'm not tired And though the wind is getting stronger I'll stay right here by your side We'll ride the waves from port to port We'll push more pins into your map Until we find a gentler harbor Far from where worms and beetles nap
And we will use our words as anchors Build a house upon the land Hide from all the ghosts that haunt us Erase our footprints from the sand We'll place this ship inside a bottle Place the bottle on a shelf We'll stay awake a million mornings Count each golden sunrise towards our wealth And you will show your teeth for once As we toast your noble health Although I've never seen a smile more uncertain of itself
With the warm breath from your nostril We'll write the prayers on the glass That we'll recite with loving kindness To every person as they pass
But I know that you hate dreaming So for now, let's just sit here Stay awake at least till morning And lay to rest your every fear I want to find the warmth in your body Want to see the child in your eyes No alabaster effigy Nothing left in you to despise Because I really am afraid You'll be a man I never get to meet Don't be overcome by night just yet, my friend And don't succumb to sleep Please stay awake with me Please stay awake