Lyrics The Gypsy - Gordon Lightfoot

The Gypsy

Step inside my tent, said she, I’d like to read you palm
Leave your dollar in the jar, this won’t take very long
Leave the circus noise behind, close your eyes, relax your mind
I’ll tell you if you should leave or if you should go on
Then I said, now what do ya see
She said, deedlee-dum, deedlee-dee
Give me a sign, tell it to me
She said, deedlee-dum, deedlee-dee
She threw some sawdust in the air and her hands began to shake
She told me the town where I was born, she almost knew the date
She lit a candle with her eyes and then she made the table rise
She took the dollar from the jar and then she guessed my weight
Then I said, now what do ya see
She said, deedlee-dum, deedlee-dee
Give me a sign, tell it to me
She said, deedlee-dum, deedlee-dee
You are so old, you are so wise
She said, deedlee-dum, deedlee-dy
Then she spoke most quietly
She said, deedlee-dum, deedlee-dee
When you were a child in school they taught you quite a lot
They taught you when you should speak and when you should not
They taught how to read and write, to take your lessons home at night
A little knowledge serves you well but the golden rule does not
Then I said, now what do ya mean
She said, deedlee-dum, deedlee-dee
Give me a sign, tell it to me
She said, deedlee-dum, deedlee-dee
And now when I go home at night to lie awake in bed
I think of that old gypsy and the words that she had said
And now I see with due respect, the more we learn the worse we get
So if you think you’ve no regrets, go have your fortune read
And I said, now what do ya see
She said, deedlee-dum, deedlee-dee