You drift by the old stone wall
Where the frozen ivy fall
Like a dormant seed in clay
Waiting for a warmer day
The water turns a heavy grey
The winter wind begins to sway
You are the tugboat in the haze
Lost inside the foggy maze
Tied to the bridge by a rusty chain
Patient as a root in rain
Your iron hull is peeling red
Like a leaf when summer's dead
You lean into the canal tide
With nowhere left for you to hide
The water turns a heavy grey
The winter wind begins to sway
You are the tugboat in the haze
Lost inside the foggy maze
Tied to the bridge by a rusty chain
Patient as a root in rain
I see you like a Latin name
Scientific, steady, tame
Saturated soil and grit
Where the heavy anchors sit
You are the tugboat in the haze
Lost inside the foggy maze
Tied to the bridge by a rusty chain
Patient as a root in rain
You shiver in the Amstel chill
While the city stands so still
Wrapped in wool and white damp air
Finding comfort in despair
You are the tugboat in the haze
Lost inside the foggy maze
Tied to the bridge by a rusty chain
Patient as a root in rain
The pump organ plays a low chord
Something that you can afford
Like a sprout through frozen ground
Waiting for a hopeful sound
You are the tugboat in the haze
Lost inside the foggy maze
Tied to the bridge by a rusty chain
Patient as a root in rain
Just a seed in the winter cold
Wait until the green unfolds
Hold on tight.
