> Sandy Denny > Songs > What Is True?

What Is True?

[Sandy Denny]

Sandy recorded her song What Is True? twice: The first version is a demo recorded at Byfield, Northans in December 1974; Sandy accompanies herself on piano. This recording was released on the Who Knows Where the Time Goes? box set and on the bonus CD of the Fledg’ling Sandy Denny anthology A Boxful of Treasures. The second recording is by Fairport and was released on Rising for the Moon; Sandy plays electric piano on this song and Bruce Rowland plays drums.

Cover Versions

Lynni Treekrem with her Norwegian translation Spindelvev & savn on Tusenfryd (1994)
Linde Nijland on her album Linde Nijland sings Sandy Denny (2003)

Lyrics

Sandy Denny sings What Is True?

Silver tongues are speaking long and hard into the night,
I must be myself and I’ll do alright.
Oh please my darling do not make me sad,
Late at night nobody really wants to feel that bad.

The rain it beats impatiently upon the window pane,
I must close my ears or I’ll go insane.
Can’t you be a gentle breeze or silent as a snowfall,
Won’t you try and listen for the voice behind the wall.

It cries to you.

Even though it only ever whispers part of what it knows,
And it’s never ventured through the locks,
Where the brazen river flows.
It’s the fingerprint which is never made,
It’s the perfume of a rose.

And it is there if you are searching, but the moment must be right,
As the night is black, as the day is white.
Please my friend help to make me glad,
Help me find the one and only thing I’ve never had.

What is true?

Even though it only ever whispers part of what it knows,
And it’s never ventured through the locks,
Where the brazen river flows.
It’s the fingerprint which is never made.
It’s the perfume of a rose.

Lynni Treekrem’s Norwegian version Spindelvev & savn

No sølvpusses tankan taushet e’kje allvei gull
Det går i ny og ne det e slik livet e
Verra snill med mæ og ikkje sår mæ sånn som du gjor’ sist
Mid på natta e’kje det no’ godt å værra trist

Vinduskarmen utaførr den må tåla vind och vær
Sånn e det og med oss det hende’ tankan sloss
Ta på mæ mildt som ein vennlig bris og værra stille som en snøfall
Nån gang gir’kje ord nån lindring og no virke dem så kald

Sje på mæ

Innerst inni ligg en hvisken det e’kje lett å gi’n no navn
Den ligg avkledd innerst inni bakom spingelvæv og savn
Ydmyk, vakker og kjenslevar
Vente’n på et svar

Tampen brinn den som leite finn når tidspunktet er rett
Vi høster som vi sår nokka læres år for år
Værra snill med mæ ok ikkje sår mæ gjørra mæ heiler glad
Æ hungre etter nærhet alt går så mykiy bedre da

E’vel ord så sann

Innerst inni ligg en hvisken det e’kje lett å gi’n no navn
Den ligg inni der helt naken bakom spingelvæv og savn
Som en ordløs sang inni hjertet mitt
Komma hit med ditt

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