Proud American +

Hell and high water
It’s getting hotter
It’s getting harder to breathe
It must be something
But I did nothing
That’s what I wanna believe
Dump in the ocean
Big wheels in motion
That’s what the governments say
Drop in the bucket
So I say…
Let’s hit the midnight buffet!

I’m a proud American
I believe what they teach me on the news
Proud American —
Short attention span is my excuse
I’m better than you
‘Cause I’m an American

Check the horizon
The market’s rising
There’s no reason to save
Tie yellow ribbons
I’ll be forgiven
Here in the home of the brave
Hey take my daughter
Sell me some water
So I can fill up the pool
The poles ain’t frozen
But I’m the chosen
I ain’t nobody’s fool

Push comes to shove
When it’s money or love
And the empire’s fading fast
Trillionaires toil
Last barrel of oil
Becomes a thing of the past
This pale blue dot won’t last

I’m better than you
It don’t matter what you can do
I’m better than you
‘Cause I’m an American
Proud American

NICKEL AND DIME +

Wake up everyone
There’s a rat race still to run
Feel like I’m playing to lose
Fumbling all around
Knuckles on the ground
Dressed up like a monkey in shoes

Staring at the floor
Another corporate whore
Stuck between suck and succeed
In the land where cash is king
Stock is everything
So worship that shareholder greed!

Each and every day
I try to wish it all away
Maybe someday I‘ll find peace of mind
Stop wasting my time
With this nickel and dime

Get everything for free
Come online with me
Strive for those five thousand friends
Download and install
It takes no time at all
Follow the tweets and the trends

Out here in the Wild West
The NSA knows best
Facebook’s got your world in real time
So come on, like my post
It’s what I need the most
Don’t worry I’ll be just fine

How many kids would ever dream big
About mortgages and paying off cars?
I’d rather fly or gaze up at the sky
Hey, let’s go walking on Mars
And learn the youth secrets of stars

OPPOSABLE THUMB +

Standing on two feet
Cradled from his birth
Here comes the baddest
Monkey on the Earth
Handy with tools
And a dandy with a gun

Three cheers —
For the opposable thumb

Master of technique
It’s all in the wrist
Start with a finger
Finish with a fist
God’s greatest ape
Oh, he’s a lot of fun!

Beware —
The opposable thumb

I’m not asking for a rocket grenade
Or a float in the Macy’s parade
But we’ve still got a long way to go
Better watch the weather
Keep it together

Modern Java Man
His mission has begun
Terraform and terrorize
The fourth rock from the sun!
I’ll hitch a ride
Well, depending on who comes

With my —
Opposable thumb

ALL'S RIGHT WITH THE WORLD +

It’s alright in my life
All’s right with the world
Tough guys are freaks
And the geeks get the girls
Fact checking’s fake
And the bullshit’s all true
Ask for the cash
And they’ll pass it to you
That’s all you do

Someone shake me
Try to wake me
Make my everyday
Thrill me, floor me
Reassure me
Tell me it’s okay

It’s alright in my life
We’re fine me and you
The nightmare’s not real
And the feeling is true
The planet is healthy
The president’s sane
Drivers polite
Every time you change lanes
Folks use their brains

Someone show me
Like you know me
Call me by my name
Text me, send me
Facebook-friend me
Pop that good champagne!

Ain’t life grand? (Yeah, it’s fantastic)
Head in the sand (No need to be sarcastic)
Everything’s fine (Things are what they are)
So pass the wine (Case Syrah, Syrah!)

It’s alright in my life
All’s right with the world

ALL FOR NOTHING +

Rabble with guns
Babbling in tongues
That’s just who we are
Eyes to the ground
As we orbit around
This yellow dwarf star
I wanna go back in time

Now I stand here a man
Wondering how it began
How did I come so far?
You’re standing with me
We’re at the edge of the sea
Understanding the stars
Staring at space-time
Stranded at the scene of the crime

Though the madness never ends
The universe still bends
All that once was old will soon be new again
We can discuss it in a song
But it won’t be very long
Till it’s all for nothing

Bad DNA
What can you say?
That’s our fatal flaw
The history of man
Just a flash in the pan
As the spaceship runs ashore
Wait five billion years
Till the Milky Way disappears

Earthling fraternity
Code word: absurdity
Trade in your vanity
For temporary sanity

MAN IN THE SKY +

Man in the sky
Hear me when I cry
Keep me after I die
Oh, man in the sky

Man in the sky
Look me in the eye
Tell me a little white lie
Oh, man in the sky

Fall to my knees
I’m begging please
Come rescue me
From the king of jealousy
In a land of fantasy

Man in the sky
Maybe you could try
To be a nicer guy
Oh, man in the sky

Flowers and trees
Wasting disease
Come set me free
From stone-age reverie
And old-time make-believe

Man in the sky
Two hundred miles high
Call me when you pass by
Oh, man in the sky

Fall to my knees
I’m begging please
Come rescue me
From the king of jealousy
In a land of fantasy
Lies beyond the pale
Grown-up fairy tales

Man in the sky
Man in the sky
Man in the sky

SHIP OF FOOLS +

Red-hot days in paradise
Rising tides and melting ice
Minds are open for business
But don’t think twice
Rich until our luck runs out
Desperate for a speck of doubt
Homo sapiens wonders
What’s it all about?

All aboard
This ship of fools
Praise the lord
It’s so hot in the swimming pool
Here in Denial
We’re the new fossil fuel

Gaia’s laid it on the line
Doubled down on humankind
Got to remember the future
Or we’re out of time
Gravity you know it’s real
Never mind that Man of Steel
Just like natural selection —
It’s the real deal!

Just six thousand years you say?
Planet Earth was made this way?
If you don’t believe in carbon dating —
Sail away!

Sail away
Sail away
Sail away…

SMILE +

Beautiful days
I can’t see them
When it’s raining in my mind
So many names
I can’t be them
Nor can I reach the other side

All around I’m losing ground
To legions of total imbeciles
Stay with me
So I can feel your kindness
Your love —
And your smile

Meet you halfway
I’ll try to make it
Another day another dime
Who can say?
Who can fake it?
Who can take this waste of time?

Fool me twice
And then a third time
Maybe I’ll make it four or five!
Oh, it’s good advice —
Just wave the peace sign
And try to make it back alive

All around I’m losing ground
To legions of total imbeciles
Stay with me
So I can feel your kindness
Your love —
And your smile

Your smile
Your smile

THE FOOL +

Inside out
There’s no doubt
Always something small
To fret about

On demand
From high command
Here in wonderland
So proclaims the fool

Upside down
Same sad clown
Always there to laugh
And joke around

Act in kind
Free your mind
Get it right next time
So proclaims the fool…

Climb the tower
Sing it to the stars
Forgive the hanged man
Just come as you are
Spin the wheel of fortune
Tell it to the moon
The sun will always light your way
But I’m still the fool

One fine day
Who’s to say?
I might change and
Pigs will fly away!

CRAZY CROW (FOR JONI) +

Black crow in a blue sky
Big empty space to fill
Ghost town of the future
Living in that house on the hill
Out on this lonely road
It’s a devil’s bargain
Deserts and cactus trees
Lead me back to the garden

Thanks a billion crazy crow
For breaking trail on the high road
Paint your joy —
Sing your sorrow

Dark clouds above me
Vapor trails across the sky
Blue moon at my window
Still I’m just a lone passerby
Big money — dog eat dog
Corporate coyotes feed
Stardust and the gold
Unraveled by their greed, so…

Turbulent citron and indigo
Swirling high above
No regrets and no apologies
For the crazy cries of love
Oh, your crazy cries of love!

Here at icy altitude
My hexagram of strings
Melancholy comfort
From the beating of black wings
Yellow taxi wait for me
Don’t wanna drink alone
Find my secret place
My surrealistic night ride home

So thanks a billion crazy crow
For breaking trail on the high road
Paint your joy
Paint your joy
Paint your joy…

LITTLE GREEN MAN +

Osiris, nice to meet you
On this starry night
One hundred fifty light years
That’s a red-eye flight
Oh, I would love to bend your ear
Thanks for your time
Here on this island earth
A guy could lose his mind

Little green man
I’m in a strange land
Shouting out at the rain
Sense has left town
The upside is down
Reason’s my new insane

How did you beat the odds?
Adapt and survive?
We shoot the heroes down
While the mediocre thrive
Well, some say life is just a test
A game that’s rigged to fail
Here in the land of the free
It’s one big blowout sale

We’ve got communication
Nothing to say
Mass global transportation
Can’t find our way
Religions and illusions
Profane and pretend
Weapons of mass delusion
Oh, where does it end?

Sacred Ground +

They say this world is ours to conquer
The world is ours to rule
Ours is the holy right to play the fool
We climb the highest mountains
Hang with them gods on high
We have become the apple of our eye

Well, I don’t know
Who we think we are in this freak show
But I won’t stand down
Don’t wanna set foot on your sacred ground

The universe is our dominion
Space is ours to burn
What does it take to make a human learn?
Maybe we made the big bang
Maybe we made it all
Maybe the kids are headed for a fall

And I don’t know
Who we think we are in this freak show
But I won’t stand down
Don’t wanna set foot on your
sacred ground
I can’t help you
With what to call your hymn or
your hairdo
And I won’t believe
In nursery rhymes designed to deceive

Love your brother
If he’s exactly like you
Else, kill your brother
There’s so much of god’s work left to do
Bad explanations
Of life, death, and what’s to come
Buy up salvation
Look out —
Look out for number one

Back of Beyond +

Take a breath and let your life flow by
Take it away
Let’s start ripping off this old disguise
What do you say?
As you’re reaching for the rainbow’s end
I know, it moves away
Instead of trusting in yourself, my friend
Why do you pray?

Follow me ‘round
To the back of beyond
Where there’s always blue sky
Farewell, so long
To the voices inside
They can no longer bring you down

Behold the seasons and the sensual
They’re all we know
Write off the reason for the ritual
Just let it go
Can you feel it all around you now?
The water in your eye
Go on, wipe the worry from your brow
It’s okay to cry

Follow me ‘round
To the back of beyond
Where there’s always blue sky
Farewell, so long
To the guilt they prescribe
It can no longer bring you down

Down with the fears
Of ten thousand years
Lost in the generations
Rise, open my eyes
Kiss off the lies —
I see it clear

MORE OF THE SAME +

It’s easy to criticize
Hard to really care
So simple to close your eyes
And say, “Don’t go there”
Dark of night and light of day
Anyone can understand
But a million shades of gray
Place truth in high demand

And every day is a game
Another link in this chain
We’re at a loss, but no one’s to blame
So we get more —
More of the same

It’s easy to be a friend
When skies are clear
And hard not to pretend
When thunderheads are near
Through the eyes of youth
I trusted what I saw
Now as the years fly by
The less I know for sure

And every day is a game
Another link in this chain
Let’s sing that same sad refrain
‘Til we get more

More of the same old song
More of that love gone wrong
More of those big box stores
I want more —
I want more and more

THE SAD CLOWN +

Sleepwalking into the night
Half funny and fixing to fight
By raising truth to the power of right

Wide open, no taboos
Thin skin and a face to lose
No time or patience for suffering fools

Give it up for the sad clown
Greasepainted smile
Give it up for the sad clown, tonight

Freethought and a bottle of wine
One more chapter of pearls and swine
Poor alien fool stepping over the line

Give it up for the sad clown
Half-hearted smile
Give it up for the sad clown, alright

Let him entertain you
Well, who could blame you

Held tight to a heady ideal
In this laughable land of the real
Where the mantra is:
‘Come on now, let’s make a deal!’

DON'T BE AFRAID +

Everybody’s looking for some peace of mind
To make some sense of a tiny slice of time
Craving castles in the sky
Cheap advice we all should try

Don’t be afraid to be alone
Don’t be afraid to pass it on
No matter what you do it’s only you

Tell me why do we have this duality?
The easy road and the road to reality
The barely sane and insanity
Don’t say it was meant to be

And don’t be afraid to be alone
Don’t be afraid to pass it on
No matter what you do it’s only you

I’ve seen the best of intentions
Lead to living in a hole
Don’t stop for directions
Let the good times roll

Under cover of silence and moonlight
They put a noose on the golden goose last night
I guess I can’t say I blame them
If you feel the same, then…

SAME OLD ME +

Same old me
Same rain-soaked parade
Something’s wrong
And some things never change

Shave my head
Shed my lonely skin
Where’s my tribe?
And where do I begin?

I can see the blue skies
Inside my dream
Wake up —
it’s the same old me

Same old me
Lost in space and time
Space to think
And time to question why

I can feel the sunrise
Inside my dream
Wake up —
it’s the same old me

I thought I was better than this
That’s what I said
I can make something better exist
But it’s only in my head
In my head

I can play the cool guy
And float downstream
Wake up —
this is just a dream

Same old me
Same rain-soaked parade
Here’s to you
And here’s to brighter days...

THE SMALL TIME +

Look who’s on the front page
Guess who’s on the rise
Looks like you really made it big this time!
Count up all the money
Spend the spring in Rome
But if I had to go it all alone
You know I’m happy just to stay at home

It’s just another day in a small world
Never having to be seen or heard
Life is just fine —
Hurry up and hit the small time

Half the world is hungry
Looking for an easy ride
They can’t imagine what it’s like inside
It’s just like finding out you’re deaf and blind

You face another day in a cruel world
Trying hard to just be seen or heard
Life would be fine —
If only you could hit the small time

Fifteen minutes in the sun
A little sun ain’t never hurt no one
But when the clock strikes twelve you’re done!

Silver bars on the windows
Goldilocks passed out on the floor
And once you’ve tasted it there is no cure
So don’t go asking for it unless you’re sure
Just take a look at those who came before

WHEN YOU GO DOWN +

I can’t get to sleep sometimes
I can’t think when I’ve got you on my mind
We stray far afield from nursery rhymes
And it’s always some damn thing
Held in disguise

When you go down
I can’t see your world of sorrow
But I’ll hang around —
Stay until you wake tomorrow
I’ll be your friend
Wait right here until the end
Standing by till you get up again

They’ll trap you in your bed
Summon the demons from inside your head
And it’s just like a wise man said
The chapters that you skip —
You’ll have to read again

I know it’s a spiral
That looks like the end
But the worst of times are brighter
If at least you have a friend

JACARANDA STREET +

Whenever I play the fool
If ever I’m way too cool
If I should say there’s no reason to stay
As if mine was the only way
If I should seem lost in a dream
Under lavender trees all day

I want to go where the air is sweet
Where the blooms gather ‘round your feet
Let’s walk Jacaranda Street

If ever I fall from grace
Whenever I lose my face
I can be found just walking around
With my feet on familiar ground
My mother lode’s at the end of the road
Take me down by the lemon grove

Right down to the end of the lane
In time with a happy refrain
While the rest of the world goes insane

Let’s lay down in the waving wheat
Let’s walk Jacaranda Street

ABSOLUTE ZERO +

Boy tragedy —
Can’t you feel the gravity?
As you fall through the floor
Go crashing through the door
Who can pretend
Happiness is your long-lost friend?
When all you portray
Is a sad old man on a winter’s day

Go on, cover your eyes
Look out the window
Wait for summer to show —
Don’t go it alone
You’ll feel as cold as absolute zero

What could it be
That keeps me from the stormy sea?
When all I adore
Lies stranded on a distant shore
Weighed down with pride
I ride the drifting tide
Afraid to set sail
Until I feel those winds prevailing

I keep trying to wake the Shakespearean hero
I wait for the plot to unfold
When the story is told
I feel as cold as absolute zero

Expect the world served up for free
Wait for what comes easily
Fall for the very first thing you see
If you’d rather
But that’s not right by me

FALL ON ME +

I don’t wanna say what you need to know
But I can’t seem to get over letting go
So, take a peek it comes for free
Ask yourself what do you see?
Don’t you want a piece of me?

Once upon a time there was time to play
Face to face we chased the night away
Hey, now we seldom find the time
To feel the reason or the rhyme
We feed ourselves the same old line

So fall on me, ‘cause I want to believe
I can’t sleep until you fall on top of me

We could take a somber Sunday drive
Argue back and forth and side to side — but why?
We know words won’t make it so
'Cause people change and people grow
Still I feel the need to know

You know I need it — I want to feel it again
I can’t deceive it — and I can’t pretend

So fall on me ‘cause I want to believe
I can’t sleep until you fall on me
Call on me, be the air I breathe
I can’t sleep until you fall on top of me

HOLE IN THE GARDEN WALL +

(in memory of A. E. J. Bryant)

Crossing the line
Then watching you cry all alone
Passing the days and wishing away
All the times I dare to remember
Seeing the world
Through vision that’s blurred by time
Waking to the cold hard light of the morning
In my eyes
Peeking right through my brave disguise
Looking to find I’m old and wise

Don’t feel alone
'Cause life is a steppingstone
This mortal divide is opening wide
When the secret’s finally broken
It’s thousands of tears
And many a year gone by
Waiting for the deep dark truth of it all
To be revealed
All of the answers now unsealed
Here in the prime time

I’ll be waiting here for you to call
And I’ll be looking at you
Through a hole in the garden wall

Don’t be afraid or pass in trade any time
Which you could spend alone with a friend
Just like the times I care to remember
Because hours and days
Like points in space form a line
Leading to the Grand Hotel
And the places that you see
Whenever the forces set you free
Whenever you see me

I’ll be waiting here for you to call
And I’ll be looking at you
Through a hole in the garden wall

And I’ll be waiting here for you to call
I’ll be here to catch you when you fall
Just think of all the good times one and all
‘Cause I’ll be looking at you
Through a hole in the garden wall

WALKING AWAY +

It’s time for walking away
It does no good to pretend
It’s the saddest thing to say
Goodbye to a good old friend
It was a lifetime ago, sweet lady
Feels like a summer’s day gone by
Since a 12-year-old boy and a bundle of joy
Ran off into the countryside.

And I know you’re much too smart
To fall for an old cliché
But there’s a time when it’s right
To stand and fight
And a time for walking away

And then in late ‘89
I thought I had it made
It was well before my time
But I bought into the charade
It wouldn’t take very long, they told us
To burn the castle to the ground
And as both of our names
Were consumed by the flames
I told myself out loud

That I thought I was much too smart
To fall for an old cliché
But there’s a time when it’s right
To stand and fight
And a time for walking away

And it all takes time to see how it goes
As we grow
We get to know when to throw the towel in

Now it’s been thirty years
And I still can’t get it right
Seems the more I face my fears
The more they change overnight
And if I can’t seem to choose my battles
Or say enough’s enough
Then at least, in a way, I can finally say
I’ve learned how to give it up

Just when I think I’m much too smart
To fall for the same cliché
Then there’s a time when it’s right
To stand and fight
And a time for walking away

SOMEONE ELSE TO BLAME +

Well there’s always someone else to blame
Some stranger in the game
We find so many ways to cry
So few to wonder why
And each day holds a new way
For to place the blame

I’m always looking
For the mines planted in my garage
Some kind of sabotage
It’s international espionage
She must be a spy at large
But I know as the pain grows
Into my own home alone
This song as the day is long
Can’t right my wrong

Well there’s always someone else to blame
I call them all by name
It’s always been the time to fly
If we can’t see eye to eye
If we’re not proud we can break ground
On the homeland that comes around
Fear makes sad mistakes
And the world breaks down

Oh, I know as the pain grows
Into my own home alone
This song as the day is long
Can’t right my wrong

And if we’re not proud we can break ground
On the homeland that comes around
Fear makes sad mistakes
And the world breaks down

JOSEPHINE +

Hey, Josephine
Where have you been?
Joe’s by the phone
He’s always alone
You won’t believe
In what you can’t see
Open your mind
To what you might find

Give up yesterday
Throw it all away
Show a little faith in mankind
Move on man to man
Until you understand
You would not believe —
Believe what you’d find

Hey, Josephine
You’re somebody’s queen
But you know there’s more
Behind the right door
‘Cause love never finds
Those who design
A cloud lined with gold
It’s beyond your control

Do you ever wonder —
When it’s all gone wrong?
Are you falling under
The spell of the wrong love song?
It’s no coincidence at all, oh no —
It’s no coincidence at all

So give up yesterday
Throw it all away
Show a little faith in mankind
Put away your pride
There’s no place left to hide
You would not believe —
Believe in what you’d find

UNDERGROUND +

If I could see me through your eyes
To give me something to despise
I’m scuba diving in this hole
The blackness that I call my soul
But you don’t want to know

And if I won’t compromise
Don’t cut me down
And if I fear sacrifice
Don’t breathe a sound
Or I’m underground

It’s like a tabloid gone astray
I’d chew off my leg to run away
Oh, I’d do anything to save
The face of all I could not brave
But who cares anyway?

And if I won’t compromise
Don’t cut me down
And if I fear sacrifice
Don’t breathe a sound
‘Cause if I start making sense
I’ll come around
It’s just my own self-defense
One more go-round
And I’m underground

It’s so easy just to roll with the tide
Go with the flow —
Let your big dreams go

TRUST +

Today we stand
Today we’re matter of fact
Dreams upon our sleeves
With our open hearts intact
Today we swear
Up, down, and all around
To watch for perspective
To listen for the sound
What does the morning mean
With tomorrow yet unseen?

All I can do is trust in you
All I can do is believe
All I can say is
That’s the way I feel the sun
That’s because you are the only one

Tomorrow stands still for us to see
All we can imagine — everything to be
Yesterday falls helpless into the sea
Burned only to learn a piece of history

But what does the morning mean
With tomorrow yet unseen?

Ever to be gentle
Ever to be so kind
Ever not to never mind

MY ROMANCE +

There is a blind communication from the heart
There is a time for two to make a brand new start
On a work of art
Empathic lines
Drawn on the canvas of our lives
Now entwine

Here today I give you my romance
All my love, all of the time
I don’t want for nothin’ else but this slow dance
Or need a full moon in the sky

I give you dedication without hooks or strings
Just like a declaration of life’s finer things
In a golden ring
Day after day
Like soul mates we shall light the way
Let us play...

JUSTICE +

What would you do for justice?
What would you do for love?
What would you do for money?
Oh, how much is enough?
Do you think you could strive for survival?
Do you think you could lie for a friend?
Why should I pay for denial?
Or someone’s impossible ends?

Do you want justice now?
I’m standing in line at the scene of the crime
For some justice now
I’ll wait in the hall till you give me justice for all

So you think I should find some forgiveness
You think we can all make amends
Well I’m tired of playing the witness
In a system that only pretends
To strike down those rabid proclaimers
And cast them all under the wheel
I’ve had enough of those crooked campaigners
And enough of this “Let’s make a deal.”

I’ve seen the smoke in the distance
And I’ve seen the script on the wall
Money breaks down all resistance
And the truth don’t mean nothing at all
It don’t mean nothing at all

Do you want justice now?
Bring it on justice now

THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT +

Jack’s a man who hasn’t much to say
He wonders how his life became
Such a complicated game of self-defense
Things were different in the old days
When every last detail made perfect sense

So he’ll switch on the TV —
Something has to change
To find the reason why he’s feeling so strange

Living in the house that Jack built
I’m not hitching my wagon to a star
I’m not gonna push it too far
I’m just happy living in the house that Jack built

Jack had been a child who sailed by the stars.
He could see into tomorrow
He could be the man upon the moon
He built the castle walls around us all
But Camelot was far too much too soon

So he pointed the ship directly out to sea
To win the race — to climb to the top of the tree

Can we see the small connections?
Between Jack, yourself, and me?
Problems sent in opposite directions
Answers much more complicated
Than they really need to be

I was just your average little boy
Acting out my imagination
Now I am the king of my back yard
Use my mind to judge my feelings now
And try to do the thinking with my heart

I found the secret locked in space and time
A grand illusion —
Simple as the rhythm and the rhyme

SOPHIA'S EYES +

I saw her standing alone
A mystery unknown
Quiet in the evening air
Walking through the old town square
And past the fountain of youth
I hope she speaks the truth
All across the palace grounds
Her timeless beauty still resounds

And I would move a mountain
Across the great divide
Dig a well clear down to hell
For a chance to look into Sophia’s eyes

I followed her blue smile
Through Istanbul for a while
All around Sultanahmet
Oh, what I see I can’t forget

There behind the palace gate
I thought I sealed my fate
Her eyes caught mine for a moment’s time
On the bank of the Golden Horn
It must have been near dawn
Her face looked on then she was gone

Oh, I would build a temple
A monument in my mind
Now I have seen the eastern dream
On the night I looked into Sophia’s eyes

GREEN +

Every day I see the prophets and pretenders
Every day I get a little bit more confused
Times are hard when the truth is the exception
And times are hard
When I’m standing in my shoes

They say it’s all for the better
It’s time to stop the rain
But I know it ain’t gonna stop
Until everything’s green

We’re gonna keep the planet green
White picket fence around the green
It’s all we’ve got in common
It’s all we’ve got to say

What can you do
For the man who has everything?
And what do you say
To the man who would be king?
Living in his ivory tower
I watch him fall to the ground
But I know I can’t stop climbing
Till I got enough green

The life of luxury is green
God trust in my green
It’s all we’ve got in common
It’s all we’ve got to say

What do we know about the true price of victory?
And what’ll we do if it’s too high a price to pay?
But now it’s two for the money
Don’t let your feelings show!
Just come on, get your cameras ready
While we all turn green

My eyes are turning green
While the bank is burning green
It’s all we’ve got in common
It’s all we’ve got to say

DECLARATION +

When the words come out easy
When it’s easy to say
When the feeling is natural
Then I mention away
I lay down my heart and soul for you

There has never been a flower ever open so wide
Nor electrical storms run down the telephone line
I cannot hold back with you — all I say is true

This is my declaration

When I think about the future I get carried away
I am blinded by the sunshine
Of the thunder and rain
No one else compares with you
What else can I do?

But give you my declaration of my inspiration
There’s a fire that burns without a flame
I carry a candle in your name

Be all that you want to be
I want you to see that

This is my declaration
In my fascination
There’s a hand that fits inside a glove
I could spend my life —
And I want to spend my life —
In love with you

WALL TO WALL +

A billion names I’ll never know
I watch the population grow
Falling from the sky
Into the depth of despair
Standing on the shore I see
A flowing sea of humanity
Adrift into tomorrow
With their hands in the air

One more child from the call of the wild
Until it’s gone
One more day — we can wish it away
But we can’t go on
Living wall to wall

A billion faces have you seen them?
Build a thousand walls between them
Fortified by hatred and the fear of change
And all the places near and far
Wish upon an eastern star
Burning with the fever of a holy crusade

See how they run — like rats in a maze
Everybody says, those were the days

BLUES AND BLUE SKY +

Heaven knows what I’ve been told
Hell’s not far behind
Promises we’ve all been sold for a long time
Cries of pain from a frightened child
Fall upon deafened ears
Numb from playing god
Through all these cold years

Step into her shoes then try to decide
If there ain’t no right to choose
It must be alright to die
And we’re caught —
Between the blues and the blue sky

Images of a broken world
Of some forgotten sand
I asked the man upstairs to help me understand
(I said)
Where have all the flowers gone?
What of hopes and dreams?
He said, “It don’t matter if you just believe”

Visions of tomorrow fall on blinded eyes
Fended off with yellow words and black lies
Wake the sleeping elders now —
Stand them all in a row
Please take your seats as we begin the show
Here we go!

And we’re caught between the blues
Fighting for the right to choose
We’re caught between the blues and the blue sky

GREAT BIG WORLD +

Move in close and you will see
Pieces of the essential me
There is a place inside me I’ve been hiding
There behind my smile
All I ask is please just listen a while

I come from a mysterious land
And I’ve watched fantasy dance on the sand
Believing the sun would rise on some horizon
I’ve known all along
Now I fear it’s gone

Remembering all of the days gone by
And all of the times you’ve waited for me to arrive
And enter the great big world

You say my expectations cannot be reality
I say that’s okay
‘Cause I know you want to stay with me
Making history

Oh — enter the great big world

LAY ME DOWN +

Sometimes I cry, then I feel nothing at all
I was afraid to die, to tumble off of the wall
My life was free and clear, didn’t want for nothing
But now I live in fear —
My time has turned to suffering

Lay me down
Let me go my own way
Let me lie in silence
Set me free with dignity
Please won’t you lay me down

Missiles are flying, high on the winds of war
Millions are dying, god only knows what for
And then there’s science
Keeping the sick and tormented alive
Let’s slay the lions
And give the humans freewill to decide
Wipe the water from your eye
You have to let me die, and

Lay me down
Hope I see you someday
Give me peace and quiet
Lay me down
Let me go my own way
Let me lie in silence
Set me free with dignity
Please won’t you lay me down

I’d like to believe
I’d love to be sure you’re there for me
But I won’t grieve
If there’s no afterlife after all

Sultan's Pyjamas +

This is the place you wake up
This is where your mother, she will stand
The empire breaks up
And everything must go as planned
This life of luxury
And all that stands before you now
Has no flexibility
With best laid plans to bore you

And if you live a thousand years
You can walk these halls alone
Find the childhood they stole
Take a look and see —
The sultan’s pyjamas

Within these harem walls
You’ll find the scores to serve all night
Wives, odalisques, and whores
But you must learn to ‘make it’ right

And if you live a thousand years
You can scale these walls of gold
Find the childhood they stole
Take a look and see —
The sultan’s pyjamas

Someday you’ll turn to sand
Right here inside the golden cage
And never understand
What becomes of the golden age

TIME TO SAY GOODBYE +

With all the things I know
It’s still so hard to grow
And here we both are —
Standing on the eggshells
The truth might set you free
But that don’t mean a thing
If east and west can never come together

Now it’s time to say goodbye
It’s too late for you and I

Intention’s not enough
To break a skin so tough
Or change a grain of sand inside an oyster
But I’ll be safe and sound
Inside my brave surround
Holding up my ego with my pride

Now it’s time to say goodbye
We’ve got to face the final ride
And it’s much too late for you and I
To change our lives
It’s time to say goodbye
Goodbye...