Sudden Arrivals

by Clive James and Pete Atkin

Sudden arrivals mean early leavings
Short blisses and long grievings
And you were the kind who appears on the scene
In a shower of glass, looking dauntless and keen
Footloose and fancy free
Fancifully free with me

Early leavings mean long tomorrows
Few favours and deep sorrows
And you were the kind who makes tracks in the night
Down the hallway, forgetting to turn out the light
Footloose and fancy free
Fancifully free with me

And seeing you were gone I could have cried
And cried until I laughed it seemed so funny
Being spectacularly sad
Throwing good money after bad
Why go on why not just let it slide?

But sudden arrivals and early leavings
Mean deep sorrows, long grievings
And you were the kind who lights out from the crime
Convinced it'll all put itself right in time
Footloose and fancy free
Fancifully free with me

Why go on why not just let it slide?

But sudden arrivals and early leavings
Mean deep sorrows and long grievings
And you were the kind who lights out from the crime
Convinced it'll all put itself right in time
The wide-smiling kind who with arms akimbo
Goes back to looking relaxed in limbo
Footloose and fancy free, fancifully free with me