Has anyone ever written anything for you?
In all your darkest hours
Have you ever heard me sing?
Listen to me now
You know I'd rather be alone
Than be without you
Don't you know

Has anyone ever given anything to you?
In your darkest hours
Did you ever give it back?
Well, I have
I have given that to you
And if it's all I ever do
This is your song

And the rain comes down
There's no pain and there's no doubt
It was easy to say
I believed in you every day
If not for me
Then do it for the world

Has anyone ever written anything for you?
In your darkest sorrow
Did you ever hear me sing?
Listen to me now
You know I'd rather be alone
Than be without you
Don't you know

So, if not for me, then
Do it for yourself
If not for me, then
Do it for the world
Poet...priest of nothing...legend
Poet...priest of nothing...legend

---

WEBMISTRESS speculates:

In the liner notes for TimeSpace, Stevie writes about this song: "I walked into a party...I saw this man...and I walked straight to him...I remember thinking, I can never be far from this person again...he is my soul...A few days later...he rented a jeep and drove me...for about two hours...He wouldn't tell me where we were going...but he did tell me a story of a little daughter that he had lost...he...ma[d]e me aware of how unimportant my problems were...So he wrote a song for her, and I wrote a song for him." I think that about sums it up - this song is a tribute to a good friend and lover: namely, Joe Walsh.

 

DKA speculates:

Stevie wrote this for Joe Walsh. Who wrote a song for his daughter, Emma. He opened the shows for her back in '84 during The Wild Heart Tour. She was having some problems, and complaining about them alot. Walsh took her one day from Denver to a beautiful park above Boulder, Colo. On the way he told her about the 3 year old daughter he had lost, and how this place was special for them. to help her rise above all the B.S. and put things in perspective. They ony complaint tht little Emma had was how the drinking fountains were too high for her. When they got there he showed a drinking fountain he put there with a plaque that read " to Emma Kristen for all those who can't or aren't big enouh to drink". The whole episode moved Stevie to write this song as soon as she returned to Phoenix.