Minstrel Of The Dawn, ©1969 by Gordon Lightfoot The minstrel of the dawn is here To make you laugh and bend your ear Up the steps you'll hear him climb All full of thoughts, all full of rhymes Listen to the pictures flow Across the room into your mind they go Listen to the strings They jangle and dangle While the old guitar rings The minstrel of the dawn is he Not too wise but oh so free He'll talk of life out on the street He'll play it sad and say it sweet Look into his shining face Of lonelines you'll always find a trace Just like me and you He's trying to get into things More happy than blue A minstrel of the changing tide He'll ask for nothing but his pride Just sit him down upon that chair Go fetch some wine and set it there Listen to the pictures flow And follow the fingers where they go Listen to the strings They jangle and dangle While the old guitar rings A minstrel of the dawn is near Just like a step and fetchit here He's like an old time troubador Just wanting life and nothing more Look into his shining eyes And if you see a ghost don't be surprised Like me and you He's trying to get into things More happy than blue The minstrel boy will understand He holds a promise in his hand He talks of better days ahead And by his words your fortune's read Listen to the pictures flow Across the room into your mind they go Listen to the strings They jangle and dangle While the old guitar rings The minstrel of the dawn is gone I hope he'll call before too long And if you meet him you must be The victim of his minstrelsy He'll sing for you a song The minstrel of the dawn