Cold Mountain Lyrics

Openhanded I tried to live
Among all people, ideas aloft

Openhanded I read the books
I learned the histories
I sang the songs
Until mountains bellowed
That my friends are flawed
And not to forget sorrow
And the other gods
And that my mouth was dirty
And that my ears were clogged
And of course that I'm flawed also
And then it stopped

Openhandedness had me in its grasp
Running around frantically
Trying to show off my open hands

'Hope unhand me,' I finally yelped
Let me dwell on bad news
Let me wallow in it
So came long nights
And hunkering down
And there stood Cold Mountain
With its trickling sound

When I reached to the summit I made no camp
But I unrolled my sleeping bag in the stream
And let the cold water pour in my ears