Lyrics to Paul Levinson's Twice Upon a Rhyme, 1972

I'm delighted to announce that, in a few weeks, Big Pink Music in South Korea will be issuing a special new CD of my 1972 album, Twice Upon a Rhyme. I just sent the lyrics and liner notes to Big Pink - and I thought I would post the lyrics here, as well (they are below the album covers), for all 13 songs on the album. (The Korean release will also have two new bonus tracks.) More details about the album, including samples of many of the songs, over here.

***December 1, 2009:  Twice Upon a Rhyme now on iTunes and Amazon and eMusic

***December 31, 2008: New Korean CD Reissue of my 1972 Twice Upon a Rhyme Now Available, with Three Bonus Tracks

Reviews of Twice Upon a Rhyme on Rate My Music




TWICE UPON A RHYME

Paul Levinson with Ed Fox and Peter Rosenthal, Happysad Records, 1972


TODAY IS JUST LIKE YOU
Words & Music by Paul Levinson
April 1969

Ooh, today the sky is blue
You know your eyes are too
Today is just like you

Yeah, the sun is everywhere
Just like your golden hair
Today is just like you

What a beautiful day, girl
You’re the same way, girl
Hope you both stay girl, and

Oh, see how the colors glow
Just like the love you show
Today is just like you

What a beautiful day, girl
You’re the same way, girl
I sure hope that you both stay girl
‘Cause tomorrow will shine, and
Life will be fine, as
Long as you’re mine girl, and

Wow, I got your love somehow
The perfect time is now
Today is just like you
Today is just like you


LOOKING FOR SUNSETS
(IN THE EARLY MORNING)
Words & Music by Paul Levinson & Ed Fox
March 1969

We wander a wet and windy shore
Washed by the morning hour
Looking for last night’s flower
On the floor

We drank of the dark red wine before
Now that it’s turned to water
We hope that the day is short
And knock on evening’s door

(chorus)
Looking for sunsets in the early morning
Always longing for more
Looking for sunsets when world is dawning
And love is hiding from the roar

The morning rolls out its awning like a store
Baby, we won’t go shopping
We’ll search ‘till the sundials stop
And love begins to pour

(chorus)


GENTLE BLUE CHERRY BELL
Words & Music by Paul Levinson & Ed Fox
December 1968

Lie down by the lavender lakes
And watch as the sugary snowflakes
Float in a musical suite

(chorus)
Gentle blue cherry bell
Of soft white fringes
Gentle blue cherry bell
My whole night hinges
On you

The dusk is a soft silken drape
That falls on the lyrical landscape
Set to a love sonnet’s beat

(chorus)

(bridge)
See the night
There’s light all around
I see the night
It’s bright on the ground
While in the sky
The pastel play, the breeze ballet
Is breathtaking, I’m shaking

(chorus)



I’M SEEING YOU IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT
Words & Music by Paul Levinson & Ed Fox
January 1969

The first time that I saw you girl
I didn’t blink an eye
Seen so much more before you
Just as common as the sky
But now a sun is rising
As I look at you tonight
I’m seeing you in a different light

I’m not sure what’s occurring
But it all fits into place
‘Cause something warm is stirring
As I gaze into your face
It’s life that’s advertising
And the signs are big and bright
I’m seeing you in a different light

I’m seeing you in a different light . . .

The blush of Aphrodite
Is alive upon your cheek
I’ve seen the light despite me
What a fool I was last week!
But now I’m realizing girl
It’s love at second sight
I’m seeing you in a different light


LEARN TO LEARN
Words & Music by Paul Levinson & Ed Fox
February 1969

The Friday sidewalks sure look crowded
Crowds rushing home with Sunday eyes
And me, I walk among the clouded
Into a night of starless skies

I’ve got to learn to learn
Not to hide my face from the sun
Now the truth is dawning
I’ve been one with no one

Lost in the wilds of misconception
Mistaking love’s embrace for chains
I feel the depths of my deception
My world is cardboard when it rains

I’ve got to learn to learn
That away is the worst way to run
In the glow of morning
When the day is so young

I’ve got to learn to learn
That a love song is meant to be sung
In the warmth of morning
When the world is so young


LOOKS LIKE A NIGHT
(I WON’T CATCH MUCH SLEEP IN)
Words & Music by Paul Levinson & Ed Fox
May 1969

Looks like a night I won’t catch much sleep in
I’m wide awake on you girl
The kind of night that is well worth keeping
Tomorrow and through, girl,
A lifetime or two

I close my eyes but instead of sleepin’
I’m well aware of you girl
The shades of sky slowly fade and deepen
But you’re bright as new, girl
You’re taking me to

A world of falling rain fountains
Ice blue streams and apple green mountains
If you love me and really mean to
I’ll be always loving you

Looks like a night I won’t catch much sleep in
I got the day in you girl
Your kind of light hits me soft and sweepin’
I smile when you do, girl
You’re beautiful too



RAINCHECK
Words & Music by Paul Levinson & Ed Fox
December 1968

Girl, you’ve got love to give me
But I can’t take it now
You’d spend your weekends with me
But I can’t make it now

(chorus)
Take a raincheck
Please don’t stay
Save all your lovin’ for a sunny day
Take a raincheck
But don’t go far
Soon as I’m able I’ll be where you are

Girl, it’s a nasty forecast
With dark clouds overhead
But soon as the storm has blown past
I’ll make good on what I said

(chorus)





YOU ARE EVERYWHERE
Words by Paul Levinson
Music by Paul Levinson & Danny Kaley
August 1967

I watch the treetops
Catch the breeze, shed their leaves
Like tears upon the ground

I watch the raindrops
In the sky, and I cry

For in everything I see you
You are always there
In the rain and in the trees
You are everywhere, yeah, you are everywhere

Icy waves leaping
In the sea, how the high tide
Drenches all the shore

I see willows weeping
As they cry, so do I

For in everything I see you
You are always there
In the skies and in the seas
You are everywhere, yeah, you are everywhere

Although your love is gone
My love still lingers on

For in everything I see you
You are always there
In the rain and in the trees
In the skies and in the seas
In the waves, baby, and in the breeze
You are everywhere, yeah, you are everywhere



FOREVER FRIDAY
Words & Music by Paul Levinson & Ed Fox
June 1969

In the near and distant past
I have passed
Near the steeples, and the windows
Were stained and strange
And the ring of voices out of range
And I found I couldn’t sing

(chorus)
It’s forever Friday
As I see the world in my way
Sunday’s just a shadow play, for me
It’s forever Friday
As I walk the ghost-town highway
Just a mirror-glass away
From the seventh day

In a far and touching word
I once heard
Morning raining, and the windows
Shined open clear
In the light of one alive idea
And I glimpsed of everything, but now

(chorus)


THE SOFT OF YOUR EYES
Words & Music by Paul Levinson
October 1968

Like a sun that starts to rise
In the cream of morning skies
And gives its gentle glow
So as the soft of your eyes

Like a very special prize
Long kept hidden in disguise
But now I really know
So as the soft of your eyes

And there’s always a place for me
Here, in the soft of your eyes
And a kind loving face for me
Here, in the soft of your eyes

And the time forever flies
And the dreaming knows no ties
Just warm familiar flow
So as the soft of your eyes


ANTIQUE SHOP
(THE COMING OF WINTER)
Words by Paul Levinson
Music by Peter Rosenthal
June 1968

Brief patches of light
Sneaking through the rusty leaves
Brief snatches of sight
Slipping past the autumn thieves

(chorus)
Relics of summer psychedelics
An ever-dwindling splinter
Browse around while the world dies down
Witness the coming of winter

Few flowers to smell
Pretty face already shed
Few hours to tell
Many things that might be said

(chorus)

(bridge)
But don’t let your mind stray too far
It might get hung up on a faded buttercup
Or tuned down to the muted sound
Of half-forgotten seas
And the soft as cotton breeze


NOT YET READY TO SAY GOODBYE
Words by Paul Levinson
Music by Linda Kaplan & Paul Levinson
October 1968

Things been getting’ worse, lately
Been lovin’ in reverse, lately
Almost time to say we’ve had our fill
Seems from here the road is all downhill
Don’t you believe it girl, we’ve something still

(chorus)
Hey, we’re not yet ready to say goodbye
“Sure gonna miss you” just won’t get by
Goodbye don’t make it
We can’t forsake it
We’re not yet ready to say goodbye

Life’s been down on us, lately
Been causin’ quite a fuss, lately
Breakin’ up would be the simple cure
But the treatment would be mighty poor
Long empty evenings never feelin’ quite sure

(chorus)

(bridge)
Can’t say so long – it’s been so long
Can’t say that’s all – ‘cause that’s all wrong

(chorus)


THE LAMA WILL BE LATE THIS YEAR
Words & Music by Paul Levinson & Ed Fox
November 1968

(a brief question and answer period)

Children don’t you know it’s past your bedtime
You’ve been waiting all day for the sun
Didn’t come so now it’s eyes-are-red time
He’s been holding out on everyone

People all been cold for such a long time
Never seen the likes of this before
He would always come and bring the warm time
Maybe he don’t love us anymore

(chorus)
The lama will be late this year
The lama will be late this year
I fear he’s been delayed
Heaven knows where he’s strayed
We’re gonna have to wait this year
The lama will be late this year
The lama will be late this year
I fear we’ve been repaid
The mistakes we have made
We’re gonna have to wait this year

It’s time all right and yet it’s not the right time
Maybe there’s some thing we’ve gotta learn
We’ll just keep on spinning through the nighttime
‘Till we light the way for his return

(chorus)

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