Amongst the Ruins
you move through a day, a day like any other
full of promise and hope, possibilities, and danger
a man walks by holding a sign that reads "please, help"
you ponder his plight but find that you have no answer
then slip through the cracks and disappear all together
losing all sense of time, misplacing what what was on your mind
you find yourself in a room with windows that are merely paintings
of people and places posed as if to convey some meaning
then the walls fall away and you find yourself amongst the ruins
off in the distance the man with the sign is waving
you look around for some rhyme or some reason, but come up empty
wake up! it's just a dream, forget and go back to sleep...
Approaching Synchronicity
when you break life down to it's simplest form
where life is lived and nothing more
when you can leave this world through any open door
you'll find the place you've been searching for
where everything, and all that will ever be
is approaching synchronicity
when you can slow life down to just the here and now
where time stands still, and every motion, and every sound
fills the space you alone have found
it will all be clear, you will have no doubt
that everything, every breath you breathe
is approaching synchronicity
Everyman
the black robed unknown, the lost in the crowd
the left and the wrong, the freaks and the clowns
the high and the mighty with their boots on the ground
the washed up, washed out, the shamed and the proud
but everyman, for good or bad
will do as they will
the brave and just crazy, the cruel and the kind
the late and the great, the standing in line
the schooled, and the fooled, and plain outta their minds
the free at last, and the stripped of their rights
but everyman, for good or bad
will do as they will
the stranded and branded, and just barely alive
the overwhelmed and condemned, the just along for the ride
the masters of destiny, and charters of signs
politicians, moneymen, and wasters of time
but everyman, for good or bad
will do as they will
the christian crusaders, the muslims and jews
the righteous and fallen, and minds with no clue
the prophets and know-it-all's with something to prove
the dreamers and schemers with nothing to lose
but everyman, for good or bad
will do as they will...
Fractured and Broken
fractured and broken, he could not be
put back together painlessly
when the powers had spoken, they split the scene
leaving him shattered, and in disbelief
gods and giants, too blind to see
in the end chose to do nothing
despite their oaths, their vows, their guarantees
they felt no guilt, no responsibility
they returned to washington content to leave him as he was
fractured and broken
all but forgotten, he carried on
a living breathing american
a free amn walking, beholden to no one
all the while sensing something was wrong
people he talked to wouldn't keep a civil tongue
they stood divided by everything under the sun
so he moved on, down the road and gone
deeply disturbed by the parting going on
he tried, god knows he did, but america's what it is
fractured and broken...
If We Can't Go On
i know it's a lot to ask
that's why i'm standing here, hat in hand
tell me something to let me know where i stand
cos if we can't go on, can we still get back?
if we can't go on
the more i hold on the more i feel detached
the more i learn the less i understand
i want it to stop, but not so fast
that if we can't go on we can still get back
if we can't go on
i don't wanna believe you but i know that it's true
people give up, sometimes i do too
i wish it weren't so, but what can you do?
i wanna run, but can barely stand
it's hard to fall, man is it hard to land
i prefer my delusions to the cold hard facts
if we can't go on, can we still get back?
if we can't go on...
Let's Throw the Sick in Prison
let's throw the sick in prison for smoking marijuana
that'll show the right their government means business
we'll give'em opiates and barbituates
and enough alcohol to drink themselves to death
let'em pop anything, inject anything
down absolutely anything, but marijuana
let's make criminals outta people like you
you can talk about cancer and aids, but we know what you're up to
just purchase what we say or waste away
any pharmecutical will do, so long as you can pay
cos you can pop anything, inject anything
down absolutely anything, but marijuana
they say it's the rule of law, but we know what it's really all about
forget your freedoms, you've been narced out
it's an evil weed, an insidious, felonious demon seed
no true american would ever need...
Life Just Happens
life took my childhood, taught me to be more
pleasing towards people pounding on my door
peddling their wares and their meaningless wisdoms
how to ease and make sense of this life that i'm living
life just happens
it moves, then it moves on
days become blurred, years, memories
ideas lead to reasons always subject to changing
there seems no end to what it is that i'm finding
there's more going on here than i ever imagined
life just happens
it moves, then it moves on
nothing's ever as far nor as near as it seems
life can be hard when you've promises to keep
so laugh when you can, and cry if you must
they say time is money, my dreaming, a luxury
i can ill afford, so i better get going
they'd have me believe it's all about winning and losing
seizing the reins and steering life to my choosing
life just happens
it moves, then it moves on...
Looking
we choose what is real with our hearts and our minds
sift through the input, through all that we find
follow directions, imperceivable lines
to the code we invented, all subtlety and signs
looking for that one thing
a little love, a little happiness, a little peace of mind...
No One Has To Feel
in the field fear is real, the blood is hot
death don't steal, it takes who it wants
never masquerades as something that it's not
chaos and murder, bullets and bombs
war is sold to kids as a video game
imaginary foes with imaginary names
no one gets hurt cos none of it is real
and no one has to feel
it's not easy to connect, getting harder just to care
hearts and minds broke beyond repair
it's the way the cookie crumbles, the beating that we take
when right turns wrong, and love succumbs to hate
phone sex, the internet, anyone can play
everybody wins when no one has to pay
no one gets hurt cos none of it is real
and no one has to feel
people look everyday for ways to numb the pain
evangelism, television, liquor, and cocaine
anything, everything, make the demons go away
to somehow, someway, make it through today
we line up in the streets for the newest fantasy
to be anywhere but here, is where we wanna be
where no one gets hurt cos none of it is real
and no one has to feel...
The Life We Are Living
the past may fade, but the past never dies
no truths are revealed if we ignore what's right before our eyes
no love is fulfilled til we break down, break down and cry
til we see every move we make affects someone down the line
nothing goes right when we see no wrong
we can't get anywhere until we stop, and look
at the life we are living
visions and wisdoms, epiphanies, revelations
pull at our heartstrings cos we desperately wanna know
how did we get here, and how do we find our way home?
we see through tunnels, sometimes, focusing all our attention
on just one thing, imprisoning ourselves in cells of anger and frustration
meanwhile the whole wide world is full of people in similar situations
looking for answers, searching for redemption...
Waxing Nostalgic
remember as kids, oh the miles we'd drive
with nowhere to go and nothing to find
but the gas was cheap
and wasting time had become
easily afforable
and hastily done
it was just you and me
and we were suddenly free
to plan and to dream
how perfect our lives would be
then you went out one day and never came back
i sat there awhile thinking my clock had gone bad
but the hours became days, the days turned to years
now me and my hopes have cried our last tear
i'm not the easiest man
to get along with at times
i've never let anyone
completely inside
no i've always held back
just a bit for myself
and i don't know why
and i know it's no help
and it did us no good
you looked at your life the same way
your cards held close
hesitant which one to play
then i went out one day and never went back
i walked for awhile thinking my directions were bad
but the hours became days, the days turned to years
now me and my past have cried our last tear...
With You
i pledge allegiance to no one
no man, no flag, no country, no faith
i am only trying to live my life day to day
as words just drone into meaningless sound
at least i can talk to you
you can be who you see in your mind
and i can be who you keep in your heart
we can be a light in the dark
even when things are falling apart
war over land, war over thought
at least i know where i stand with you
let the world spin off it's axis
what can any of us do?
ideologies search for their balance
while you and i search for what's true
people are going their seperate ways
at least i can be with you...
