Transcribing “Reservoirs” lyrics.

I thought it’d be fun to try to transcribe lyrics to the song Vienna Teng and Ben Arthur did for Dubway Days, “Reservoirs.”

I think I got most of it, but there are a couple of places where I have no idea what the heck she’s singing. If you think you can fill in the gaps (or have any corrections to suggest), leave a comment!

Reservoirs

Voices fly, tracing the skyline
And spiraling up through the grass
Across wood and steel and clambering vines
The day is fading fast

But love, love, there’s light in my garden
Love, love, you just have to jump
The city below, the taxicabs slow
Love is all that ever was

These reservoirs are minarets,
Irises cornflower blue,
Clouds of caraway thyme
You flared like a match struck in the dead-of-night gloom
Leaving me blind

Now love, love, there’s light in my garden
Love, love, you just have to jump
The city below, the taxicabs slow
For love is all that ever was

Every morning
I want you to be
The first thing I touch
The first thing I see

Love, love, there’s light in my garden
Love, love, leap to my arms
One step then two
Keep your eyes on my roof
Love is all that ever was
Love is all that ever was
…is all that ever was

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10 comments
  1. ltr said:

    One step then two
    Keep your hands in my – I’ll tell you when you’re older…
    Love is all that ever was

  2. Fimbulvetr said:

    You can actually see most of the lyrics in the third video at about 3:57 except for the very end.

    voices fly, tracing the skyline
    and spiralling up through the grass
    across wood and steel and clambering vines
    the day is fading fast

    but love, love, there’s light in my garden
    love, love, you just have to jump
    the city below, the taxicabs slow
    love is all that ever was

    reservoirs are minarets, irises cornflower blue
    clouds of caraway thyme
    you flared like a match struck in a dead-of-night gloom
    leaving me blind

    now love, love, there’s light in my garden
    love, love, you just have to jump
    the city below, the taxicabs slow
    love is all that ever was

    every morning
    I want you to be
    the first thing I touch
    the first thing I see

    love, love, there’s light in my garden
    love, love, leap to my arms
    one step then two
    keep your [eyes] [on/in] my [louvre??]
    love is all that ever was
    love is all that ever was
    is all that ever was

    • exrpan said:

      Nice find, I didn’t even notice that!

  3. Ferrard said:

    These reservoirs are minarets…”
    “One step then two, keep your eyes on my roof,
    for
    love is all that ever was…”

    Other than that, the rest of it sounds right =)

    • exrpan said:

      Roof! That makes much more sense!

    • exrpan said:

      Although, listening again I still think I hear an “L” at the beginning of that mysterious word that ends in the f/v sound. Hmm…

      • Ferrard said:

        Might be the infamous “L” and “R” flipping stereotype that haunts Asians, but I’m not hearing it =/. The “kids leaping from roof-top garden to roof-top garden” inspiration for the song support the words I’m hearing well enough that I’m fairly confident in their accuracy.

  4. p-folder said:

    I believe that the third line in the bridge is:

    the first that thing I touch

  5. p-folder said:

    Sorry, I meant:

    the first thing that I touch

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