In the days before intellectual property, when musicians were rendered penniless by the common folk sharing songs without paying for them (this completely killed off music by the Middle Ages, by the way, and it was not until the Berne convention that anyone started writing songs again), it was not uncommon to take someone's song, play, or rain dance, and perform it, modified or unmodified.

Because this was before proper revision control systems existed, it is impossible to determine the history of a traditional folk song. For example, Paper and Pins can express cynical views about love and commerce (thanks, Jordi) such as in this version or in this version, or something more sentimental, such as in this version or this version.

So, was the original author happy or bitter?

Sitting on a rooftop
Waiting for the sun to go down on me
The sky is beautiful tonight
And there's no place I'd rather be

Long ago, I had a dream
Of a moonlight lagoon
There I stood at the water's edge
Reading the waves as runes
There's a girl with dark brown hair
Standing right in back of me
And I can feel her presence there
Though I still can't see

The sun sets behind the mountain
And finds its inner peace
We watch the silver stars
A purple haze surrounds the moon
And we sit and talk for hours

Long ago, I had a dream
Of a moonlight lagoon
There I stood at the water's edge
Reading the waves as runes
There's a girl with dark brown hair
Standing right in back of me
And I can feel her presence there
Though I still can't see

I wonder where you are
It's been so many years
Since we dreamed so many dreams
And cried so many tears
Now it seems so far away
And it'll never be the same

But long ago, I had a dream
Of a moonlight lagoon
There I stood at the water's edge
Reading the waves as runes
There's a girl with dark brown hair
Standing right in back of me
And I can feel her presence there
Though I still can't see

♥