Lyrics Harry Nilsson

Harry Nilsson

The Ivy Covered Walls

Just behind the ivy covered walls

We used to walk the Ivy leaguer walls

We used to share an Ivy leaguer look

But (we lost it with the chemicals that we took).

Now the good books in the library look better every day

And the dean and all his bribery took our faith in him away.

So we wandered through the garden by the ivy covered walls

And we waited for the magic where the sleepy nighttime falls.

But the books we learned to love so much were very hard to read

So we hunted for a light, just a light was all we'd need.

Then we saw a glow not far away

Just a stones throw you might say

And we headed for the light we saw

We knew would lead the way.

And the light shone through the window of a handsome hansel house

And we peeked inside the window (quiet) as a mouse.

On the table near the fire was a book we all had read

With a cover so familiar, not another word was said.

So we threw away the chemicals and we strolled back through the night

And we climbed the ivy covered walls (and the we said goodnight) that's right.

Now the next day we were back inside the crowded hallowed halls

And one of us had scribbled something silly on the walls.

He never said he did it but it might have been us all

It was the title of the book we'd seen he'd written on the wall.

A private joke to us, perhaps - 'What's the title?' - you ask

It was simply: 'Throw away those chemicals or...'