Cynthia Hopkins – Ballad Of The Cherry Blossoms lyrics

I made a new song of an old song, and this is how the old song went:
it told the story of a woman so lovely she made enemies everywhere she went
and one of these was her student, called Ritaro, who prized his teacher
more than what she taught
so he devised a plan to get what he desired whether she desired it or not
there was a festival in springtime to see the cherry trees in bloom
Ritaro took advantage of this great occasion to make his feelings known
I put a petal in my pocket, to remind myself of spring
so that even when it’s over, in my mind it will remain a wondrous thing
Ritaro saw only one thing in his way now: Shunkin’s guide, Sasuke, by her side
led her from tree to tree dutifully aiding her to feel what she could not see
but Ritaro had a plan to lull him--he plied him with liquor all day long
and by the evening, he’d been filled with so much drink
Sasuke laid down drunk and bleary-eyed
it was then that Ritaro led poor Shunkin out beneath the cherry trees
he said "I’ll be your guide now, I will be your tree,
and you can have your way with me"
but Shunkin shrank back from his violent hands, his leering voice and heavy sighs
and trembling on the ground, she cried out for Sasuke
but he was nowhere to be found
when Sasuke woke from poisoned dreams, he found Shunkin beneath the cherry trees
she said "I’ve saved a cherry blossom so that I’ll recall the spring even after it’s dead"
now when I heard this little story, I was so enchanted by its sound
I tore the notes apart and rearranged them until they became a brand new song
so if you want to make a new thing, here is one thing you can do:
just take apart a thing and rearrange the pieces until it becomes a brand new thing
I’ll make a new song of an old song, to remind myself of spring
so that even when it’s over, in my mind it will remain a wondrous thing