[Intro]
The sun, red and enormous, began to sink into the western sky
And simultaneously the moon began to rise
On the other side of the river with its own glorious shade of red
Coming up out of the trees like a russet firebird
The sun and the moon seemed to acknowledge each other
And they moved in both apposition and concordance
In a breathtaking dance of light across the oaks and the palms
My father watched it, and I thought he would cry again
He had returned to the sea, and his heart was a low country heart

[Verse 1]
African drums are silent
And the Wingos are poets at last
Out on Dafuskie Island
The bulldozers bury the past

[Verse 2]
And the low country sinks, she cannot swim
The dogwood feels the hurt
While the foursome plays on borrowed days
In their alligator shirts

[Chorus]
Now I realize who killed the Prince of Tides
How can you tell how it used to be
When there's nothin' left to see?
[Verse 3]
One night they put a price on the sunset
And that got the whole world shakin'
They rose from the grave, both the weak and the brave
'Cause history was there for the makin'

[Verse 4]
And the winos surrounded the condos
Forming a frail human fence
And they shouted out loud to the roar of the crowd
"Same old story, more dollars than sense"

[Chorus]
Now I realize who killed the Prince of Tides
How can you tell how it used to be
When there's nothin' left to see?

[Bridge]
Paperback novels make young girls dream
And Judy's spending quieter days in the stream
With Goodman, Giovinco, and John Mac D
They were such good friends to me

[Chorus]
Yes, and now I realize who killed the Prince of Tides
How can you tell how it used to be
When there's nothin' left to see?
[Chorus]
Oh, and now I realize who killed the Prince of Tides
How can you tell how it used to be
When there's nothin' left to see?

[Refrain]
Nothin' left to see
Heaven knows but God decides
Just when to kill the Prince of Tides

[Outro]
You can dance every dance
With the guy who gives you the eye
And wants to hold you tight
You can smile every smile
For the man who holds your hand
Beneath the pale moonlight
But don't forget who's takin' you home
And in whose arms you're gonna be
Save the last dance for me
And beach music, beach music, beach music, just plays on

The white porpoise comes to me at night
Singing in the river of time
With a thousand dolphins in radiant attendance
Bringing charismatic greetings from the Prince of Tides