Like some night bird homeward wingin He seeks the sheltered nest Like the sailor's lost horizon He needs some place to rest The songs that he's been singin' No longer make much sense And those stranger's cold perceptions They've killed his confidence Nightingale, she sails away upon a sea of song Nightingale, she serenades his lonely, lonely life along When his tired voice is broken His golden hope is gone She makes a lost soul's simple longing Somehow not so wrong Nightingale, nightingale He was strong, but he was taken By the thought of his success Those spotlights shadows How they lured him and took him like all the rest But that old dream don't look good now No it don't seem quite the same He needs to hear a tender word Won't you sing him home again Nightingale, she sails away up on a sea of song Nightingale, she serenades his lonely, lonely life along When his strength is slowly going His pride is all but gone She makes a foolish dreamer listen to one last song Nightingale ooh sing sweet nightingale Oh, na, na, na, na Nightingale, oh nightingale Nightingale ooh sing sweet nightingale