Fruit Tree

 

Fame is but a fruit tree
So very unsound.
It can never flourish
‘til its stock is in the ground
So men of fame
Can never find a way
‘til time has flown
Far from their dying day

Forgotten while you’re here
Remembered for a while
A much updated ruin
From a much outdated style

Life is but a memory
Happened long ago
Theatre full of sadness
For a long forgotten show
Seems so easy
Just to let it go on by
‘til  you stop and wonder
Why you never wondered why

Safe in the womb
Of an everlasting night
You find the darkness can
Give the brightest light
Safe in your place deep in the earth
That’s when they’ll know what you were truly worth
Forgotten while you’re here
Remembered for a while
A much updated ruin
From a much outdated style

Fame is but a fruit tree
So very unsound
It can never flourish
‘til it’s stock is in the ground
So men of fame
Can never find a way
‘til time has flown
Far from their dying day

Fruit tree, fruit tree
No-one knows you but the rain and the air
Don’t you worry
They’ll stand and stare when you’re gone

Fruit tree, fruit tree
Open your eyes to another year
They’ll all know
That you were here when you’re gone

 

These are the lyrics as recorded by Nick and have been compiled in this format by Bryter Music, the Nick Drake estate. Our thanks go to them for permission to reproduce the lyrics on this site.

The copyright in these lyrics remain with Warlock Music/Evergreen Copyrights and any commercial use of the lyrics has to be cleared with both Nick's Estate and Evergreen in the U.S.