Beautiful Hat - Joe Henry, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band

I’m through with this, this beautiful hat

I’ve never let nothing be as easy as that

I won’t let it be like the nest of a dream

A cradle for a stone when all of this seems

As likely as stones are to rise up and sing

As likely as birds to fly out of this thing

As likely as birds to fly out of this thing

The water grows quiet, or so it pretends

It stands deep and cloudy and waits to come in

And take up the place that one time was mine

When I was beginning to learn how to climb

Thinking myself to be doing just fine

Reaching your knees when just finding mine

Reaching your knees while living on mine

So take this away your hat full of birds

That refuse now to rise and I give you my word

That whatever comes I swear it was true

That nothing has ever looked better on you

Nothing has ever looked better on you

Nothing has ever looked better on you