Been so long since a strange woman has slept in my bed   Look how sweet she sleeps, how free must be her dreams   In another lifetime she must have owned the world, or been faithfully wed   To some righteous king who wrote psalms beside moonlit streams      I and I, in creation where one's nature neither honors nor forgives   I and I, one say to the other, no man sees my face and lives      Think I'll go out and go for a walk   Not much happenin' here, nothin' ever does   Besides, if she wakes up now, she'll just want me to talk   I got nothin' to say, 'specially about whatever was      I and I, in creation where one's nature neither honors nor forgives   I and I, one say to the other, no man sees my face and lives      Took an untrodden path once, where the swift don't win the race   It goes to the worthy, who can divide the word of truth   Took a stranger to teach me, to look into justice's beautiful face   And to see an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth      I and I, in creation where one's nature neither honors nor forgives   I and I, one say to the other, no man sees my face and lives      Outside are two men on a train platform there's nobody in sight   They're waiting for spring to come, smokin' down the track   The world could come to an end tonight, but that's all right   She should still be there sleepin' when I get back      I and I, in creation where one's nature neither honors nor forgives   I and I, one say to the other, no man sees my face and lives      Noontime, and I'm still pushin' myself along the road, the darkest part   Into the narrow lanes, I can't stumble or stay put   Someone else is speakin' with my mouth, but I'm listenin' only to my heart   I've made shoes for everyone, even you, while I still go barefoot      I and I, in creation where one's nature neither honors nor forgives   I and I, one say to the other, no man sees my face and lives