Standard (EADGBE)

My crane wife arrived at my door in the moonlight

 All star-bright and tongue tied I took her in

We were married and bells rang sweet for our wedding

 And our bedding was ready when we fell in

Chorus

Sound the keening bell and see it's painted red

 Soft as fontanel, the feathers in the thread

 When all I ever meant to do was to keep you

 My crane wife, my crane wife, my crane wife

We were poorly, our fortunes fading hourly

 And how she vowed me she could bring it back

But I was greedy I was vain and I forced her to weaving

 On cold loom in closed room with down wove

Sound the keening bell and see it's painted red

 Soft as fontanel, the feathers in the thread

 When all I ever meant to do was to keep you

 My crane wife, my crane wife, my crane wife

There's a bend in the wind and it rakes at my heart

There is blood in the thread and it rakes at my heart

 Rakes at my heart, heart, heart, heart

Heart, heart, heart, heart, heart, heart, heart, heart

 My crane wife

Taken from the fantastic album The Crane Wife.

Lyrics by Colin Meloy.