I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead, lift my lids and all is born again. (I think I made you up inside my head) The stars go waltzing out in blue and red, And arbitrary darkness gallops in. I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead. I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed And sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane. (I think I made you up inside my head). God topples from the sky, hell’s fires fade: Exit seraphim and enter Satan’s men: I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead. I fancied you’d return the way you said. But I grow old and I forget your name. (I think I made you up inside my head). I should have loved a thunderbird instead; At least when spring comes they roar back again. I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead. (I think I made you up inside my head).
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Text Authorship:
- by Sylvia Plath (1932 - 1963) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Stanley Grill (b. 1953), "Mad Girl's Love Song", subtitle: "a villanelle by Sylvia Plath", copyright © 2018 [ duet for soprano and alto ], confirmed with an online score [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2018-07-18
Line count: 19
Word count: 162