Lifetime Van der Graaf Generator

I can remember it so well, the bed of roses where we lay
The crown of thorns I was so keen to give away
All the warning signs ignored, the passion's played
I could foresee what was to come, I had a sense of what might happen
The river runs and very rapidly becomes a torrent
Sweeping us towards our ricochet
It takes a lifetime to unravel all the threads
That have tied us in these webs of tourniquet
I stake no claim on memory, I stand on ceremonial quicksand
I look for something with solidity to hold
Something lasting, something pristine with no sense of decay
Can you remember how that was? Can you remember?
It takes a lifetime's understanding of the flow to surrender
Let the current sweep you away
What if I told you I would never let you go
I would hold you every step along the way?
It takes a lifetime to unlearn all that you know
To return the things you borrowed for a day