Oh how, at the journey's end, I lie in the heat of the night,
Feeling the heartache, wondering why,
I want a friend, I want a friend to lay down beside me,
I want a friend, I want her now, someone who knows what I mean,
When I say, that I need
Tender hands to hold me, I need tender hands tonight,
Will you lay them on my shoulders,
Will you lay them on my eyes,
And I need tender hands to take me,
All the way to paradise, and then, when it's over,
I need tender hands to hold me through the night;
Touch me with your velvet mouth, I will give all the love that I have,
Under the moonlight, reaching your heart,
Where are you now, where are you now, come out of the shadows,
Where are you now, I want you now,
You know that I cannot always be strong, and I need
Tender hands to hold me, I need tender hands tonight,
Will you lay them on my shoulders,
Will you lay them on my eyes, and I need,
Tender hands to take me all the way to paradise,
And then, when it's over, I need tender hands,
To hold me through the night;
I am only a voice in a city of noise, can you hear me this time,
I see the storm grow, there's a light in the desert tonight;
And I need tender hands, give me tender hands,
Will you lay them on my shoulders, oh give me,
Tender hands to take me all the way to paradise,
And then, when it's over, I have tender hands,
To hold you through the night, darling,
My tender hands will hold you through the night;
I want your tender hands, you have tender hands,
I want those tender hands, tender hands...
"This is about that feeling when you're with a companion - your lover, your wife or whoever - and you're exhausted. You've been travelling and you want to come home, but you don't want the histrionics of 'Look, I'm tired as well...', or any of that stuff. What you want is to be with someone who understands when you say 'Listen, all I want is tender hands tonight.' You know: 'Rub my shoulders, rub my back, hold me tight... make love to me.' It's about saying 'Tonight I'm feeling weak; I can't always be strong. I'm just exhausted, and just this one night I need you really badly...'"
