Love Cuts the Strings The Mountain Goats

[Verse 1]
First thing that happened was the river overflowed
The water running through the streets and was sweet and cold
I knelt by the water like a doe by a stream
Punch-drunk, snowblind, as though the whole thing were a bad dream

[Chorus 1]
And then love called out the heavy artillery
And Kypris took the horses by the bit for the morning ride
I count my blessings but you can only be expected to count so high
When love cuts the strings

[Verse 2]
I smeared myself with pennyroyal to keep the hounds at bay
And you poked your head out from an alley half a block away
And I recognized you though I'm not sure how
And the air turned red around you
As a dull chill came down over me

[Chorus 2]
And then love summoned up the infantry
And the green-eyed goddess got ready for all-out war
I count my blessings
But I don't even know what the word blessing means
When love cuts the strings