Jackson Browne & JD Souther Fountain of Sorrow

 

Looking through some photographs I found inside a drawer,
I was taken by a photograph of you.
There were one or two I know that you would have liked a little more,
But they didn't show your spirit quite as true.
You were turning 'round to see who was behind you
And I took your childish laughter by surprise.
And at the moment that my camera happened to find you,
There was just a trace of sorrow in your eyes.

Now the things that I remember seem so distant and so small,
Though it hasn't really been that long a time.
What I was seeing wasn't what was happening at all
Although for a while, our path did seem to climb.
When you see through love's illusions, there lies the danger,
And your perfect lover just looks like a perfect fool.
So you go running off in search of a perfect stranger
All the loneliness seems to spring from your life,
Like a fountain from a pool.

Fountain of sorrow, fountain of light,
You've known that hollow sound of your own steps in flight
You've had to hide sometimes, but now you're alright.
And it's good to see your smiling face tonight.

Now for you and me it may not be that hard to reach our dreams,
But that magic feeling never seems to last.
And while the future's there for anyone to change,
Still you know it seems
It would be easier sometimes to change the past.
I'm just one or two years, and a couple of changes behind you
In my lessons at love's pain and heartache school,
Where if you feel too free and you need something to remind you,
There's this loneliness springing up from your life
Like a fountain from a pool.

Fountain of sorrow, fountain of light,
You've known that hollow sound of your own steps in flight
You've had to hide sometimes, but now you're alright.
And it's good to see your smiling face tonight.

Fountain of sorrow, fountain of light,
You've known that hollow sound of your own steps in flight
You've had to struggle, you've had to fight
To keep understanding and compassion in sight
You could be laughing at me, you've got the right.
But you go on smiling, so clear and so bright.