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Ballad Of The Lights Lyrics by Arthur Russell

2010

A young man sits on the bridge
After nightfall
And looks across the Hudson River to New Jersey
He wonders about life
And he wonders if he'll ever get old
He sees the lights
He wonders if they are talking to each other
And he wonders if they are talking to him
And he asks if they are
My mind settles down
On those lights from New Jersey
Why I chose New Jersey to look at, I don't know
Wеll one thing's for sure
I'm herе to see those lights
It doesn't matter, don't matter, no
Where I come from or where I go
Well what does it mean
Those lights
I can't resist the thought that they are twinkling to each other
Are they?
Are they?
His leisure hours are spent in a way
That mystifies his younger years
Thinking hard, he has no say what's in his eyes
And meets his ears
Well one thing's for sure
I'm here to see those lights
It doesn't matter, don't matter, no
Where I come from or where I go
Well what does it mean
Those lights
I can't resist the thought that they are twinkling to each other
Are they?
Are they?
Lights are shining brighter now
But it's not home for me
Different lights across the river
Lights of industry
They are so beautiful
Very, very, very beautiful
Please Mr. Mystery
If I'm sitting oh so still
All along it's only me
All those lights have lost their meaning
Please oh Mr. Mystery
Suddenly the ice that was floating down the Hudson stops
The flow has stopped
And so, dejected
He wanders back
Into the city
Back to the bars
Back to where he first found happiness
But he didn't notice
On the brick warehouse wall
The hulking, lurking shadow of a human form
Mr. Mystery
Credits
Arthur Russell

Arthur Russell

About “Ballad Of The Lights” by Arthur Russell

Read the complete lyrics to "Ballad Of The Lights" by Arthur Russell in 2010. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Alternative, Independent, Spoken Word.

"Ballad Of The Lights" is performed by Arthur Russell. in 2010 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Ballad Of The Lights", explore more songs by Arthur Russell using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Ballad Of The Lights" is credited to Arthur Russell. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

Album information for "Ballad Of The Lights" is not available in our database yet. You can still read the full lyrics on this page.

Visit the Arthur Russell artist page at /artist/arthur-russell for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.