Take yourself down to the river.
Better you wash your face and hands?
You carry a torch for your anger.
But it never was at your command.

Thinking lately about myself:
Feeling alone. (All alone, people)

Tried before to express myself.
Singing ‘Oh!’, singing ‘Oh! This time you’re wronged’
Singing ‘Oh,’, singing ‘Oh, you’re wronged!’

Let’s go back to the river:
Are you happy with how things have gone.
You talk and you talk and you talk of living your life.
Like it’s happening to someone else.

Maybe you think I’ve got it made,
but I’m all alone. (Just like you)
Spent too much time sitting by myself.
I was wrong. I was wrong. That time I was wrong.
So wrong, so wrong, you know?

You are loved.
Tried to tell you about it, but you walked away.
You are loved.
Even though it won’t feel that way.
You are loved.
And I’d tell you about it,
If you could drag yourself away…

Let’s look back in the mirror.
Recognize your face anymore?
Collect your debts
And reject regrets
Just don’t ask whose still fairest of all.

Now maybe you think
you’ve got it made
But you’re all alone.
All alone, baby.

Take your time when you hit that road
Or you’re gone, far gone. then you’re gone.
Then you’re gone too far, you know.

How could you leave me?
So much deception.
How could you break down?
So much to justify.

Tell me you love me.
Break my heart once more.
Show me the dream now.
So much to justify.

Hey, if you see me.
Walk on by just go.
Go with your dream now.
No more to justify.

I’m gonna tell you a story.
You’re gonna hear a story.
Of a greater love in you.
You’re going to hear a story of a raging heart resolved.

I’m gonna tell you a story.
You’re gonna hear a big story.
There’s a greater love than you’ve ever known.
You’re going to hear the amazing source of one true heart.

You better listen,
There’s a place in a heart that cries so true

You’re going to hear a story full of breaking hearts
I shouldn’t have to tell you it’s been all around.
Fear of the one who died when the rains came down,
Buddy:

I was blind but now I see
Now it’s all so clear to me…

I’m gonna tell you a story.
You’re gonna hear a story.
Of a greater love in you.
You’re going to hear of a raging heart resolved.

I’m gonna tell you a story.
You’d do well to listen.
There’s a greater love than you’ve ever known.
You’re going to hear the amazing hope of one true heart.

As I walked down
The same old road.
The path well trod
So many years ago.
When a flash came down

Beyond the sky
And showed me my world black.

With sight restored,
It’s clear to me.
There is so much more
That I never could see.
Was a miracle born when I believed
That one moment can change your life?

You’d better listen:
There a place full of hearts that cry like you…

You’re going to hear a story full of breaking hearts
There’s going to be no question now in going on
Tears of blood from the eyes of God like rain fell down
Buddy:

I was blind but now I see
Now it’s all so clear to me.
Once blind but now set free.
Now it’s only good to me.

I was blind but now I see
Now it’s all so clear to me.

Once blind but now set free.
Now it’s only good to me.

What can I say that you don’t
already know?
I cheated.
I lied.
I stole.
Many were the tears you shed for me.
On my way home.

What could you say that I had not heard?
I’m sorry
I love you
I tried.
Many great tears will be shed for you.
On your way back home.

I understand
your depth of sadness.
Having battled hard once or twice before
I only know that way lies madness.
No one’s ever lived who did fight that war.

What
would you hear that I had not tried?
I miss you.
I grieve.
Goodbye.
Many great tears never shared by two.
On our way…

You say it’s been a day
You never slept so hard
The world can take it’s toll
I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so old.
Why don’t you come in you must be cold?

You say it’s getting harder
You’ve nothing left to give.
I hear you my old friend.
You are so dear to me.
But I can’t really see.
Why does it always seem so hard
To let things go.
Why don’t you come in you must be cold?

You say you’ve had enough
And take it all so hard
You shuffle round within yourself
I don’t mind that you prefer to be off
All alone.

Because every time I look
I see much more in you
There’s no way you’ll be back today.
I really don’t mind if you still feel left out.
Because you’re not.

You say it’s been a hard life
There’s nothing left to say
You can’t fool me this time
The the things that you’ve been through still make me cry.

Why don’t you come in
I’ll put some fresh tea – here just on the fire.
Why don’t you come in you must be colder than a stone?
Why don’t you come in you must be cold.

I’m a guy who loves his job.
Work all day. Sometimes nights.
I’m a guy who loves his job.
Wonder if I’ll always feel that way? Now there’s a guy who lost his job.
Worked my shift.
Left this note.
Near the gun in his garage.
Guess he didn’t think he’d be retrained.

And he said:

If you take a look at what is happening
You won’t look long before
You will find that there’s nothing left at the factory.
Most of what I walked in for is gone.
And I don’t think it will be very long
Before there’s nothing left.
No more hours.
No more clock.
No more check every week.

We can’t understand how this all worked out?

(CHORUS)

We made more tires
And forged more steel
But have no jobs
So who buys the wheels
There is no way to understand
What we held in our hands
What a wonderful world this was
And still is

Oh what world that we made happen
Everything built with a smile
Building a dream that reached everybody
Building a dream so wild!

CHORUS

Story time is over.
You can all go home.

Cross the floor
beyond my door
The mirror caught my eye

I looked once more
To see what I could not before
The reason almost made me cry.

Down the walk
It’s always raining,
No way to talk
Yet somehow this old coat always stays dry
But what can you expect?
Such happenings can’t happen yet
When all your chance appearances are gone.

Close that door
That image I would see no more.
The pain increases every time I try
But if you can,
See strength inside this shaken man
You’ll really see the truth’s not shy.

Hey Johnny!
Where are you going with that gun?
If it’s strictly for protection, then why are you showin’ everyone?

Now here’s the problem:
You think you’re lookin’ real rough.
But when they take your little toy from you,
You won’t feel so tough.

Johnny you’re a victim of a televised world
That tells you lies everyday.
And makes you think there’s only one number
That’ll ever come up.

Johnny won’t listen to anybody sayin’ that his life’s too much.
‘Cause’ everybody else is too scared to see Johnny hooked up.

Hey Johnny!
You aren’t lookin’ so tough.
When they used your little toy on you it must have felt real rough.

(Hey Johnny?)

I

Open your eyes it’s a new day
And see what’s outside of your mind
Over the world it is clear
If you look straight ahead.

Let’s go

Open your eyes to the sun
And feel in it’s warmth how it shines
We think that we see all there is here
But there is so much that you don’t

Don’t know
Can’t know

Open your eyes to a new way
Of seeing as if you’d been blind
More than the things that we
think that we see in each day.

Don’t know
Can’t know

I see clear now

II

You can drown yourself.
You can think you’ll end your life.
You can feel you’ll kill your love.
But you’ll never win that fight.

For there is more things here than you claim.
There is more to see with your pretty blue eyes.
There are more things still to say.
Than you’ve ever realized.

You can fool yourself.
You can think you’ll change to night.
You can sleep each day.
But you won’t avoid the light.

For there is more things here than you claim.
There is more still to take from the pretty black bag.
There is so much more to say.
But you never seem to ask.

When I grow up,
I tell you now,
Gonna shake this dust off my shoes.
I’ll live my life. Do what I want.
Soon.

Because I was raised in a typical way
In this typical town
Every typical day.
Mommy when we will ever get what’s new?
She said ‘Soon. And for the rest of your life.’

Now I’m grown up. I tell you, man.
You wish you could walk in my shoes.
I live my life. Do what I want. Soon.

When I wake up
It’s a miracle play.
In this miracle town
Every miracle day.
You don’t see me living up.
But when I do! (Soon)
And for the rest of my life…

Now I end up in a typical way.
In this typical town.
Every typical damned day
That I thought I’d never live to see back here.
Now I go down to the mission today.
Think of something to say.
As I kneal down and pray for
This whole story to be over (like I always do).
Soon.
And for the rest of my life.

III

We go tearing up this town.
The sun, the sky, the sea, the flowing wind.

We can turn this upside down.
The roar, the pomp, the flash
Of fallen Kings

Surely with all this gold you own;
You are the man to know!

Surely like fire, but all too cold.
We are held by desire!

We came roaring out this town
The pomp, the flash, the air
Of fallen Kings

We came with a roaring sound
To span the earth with all the force of kings!
We thought we’d tear up this town
But all that’s left after all
Was flowing wind.

All the times I tried to tell you all.
I was so all alone.
Every night when I look inside myself
I was so far from home.

We came tearing up this town.
But the wind won’t stop
And the flames reach up.
And the fight goes on below.

Open your eyes it’s a new day!
And see all what was ever designed.
We think that we’ve see all there is here,
But there is so much that we don’t.

We mortgage our lives on a lie
And all of it shrouded in pain.
But there is so much that will grow
When the sun comes out from the rain!

We came tearing up this town!
And though we tried to belong
But every time we were wrong.

We are more than all this town!
And there’s no time to be wrong
For we’ve just got to be strong.

(Open you eyes it’s a new day
and see what was ever inside…)

Now there are many things that I always wanted
And there were many things that I always wanted to say.
But if I ever thought I could change one thing,
It would be this way…

Now is there anyone left that you’ll attend to?
Is there anyone around who makes a sound that you hear?
‘Cause each place I look
Everyone’s got a book
Saying ‘It’s all OK.

So I’m lost
There’s really no one here I can turn for
Help.
There’s really nothing here I believe.

And it’s gone too far
And it’s all too broad
And it’s all too much
For me.

And there is something else that I want to tell you.
But it is getting very hard with all the noise that we hear
And they say ‘trust yourself’.
As they sell something else.
‘You can drive it on home, end those blues it’s so clear.”

And if you’d rather stay at home than be preached to.
Except for Nine To Five no one tells you what to do.
But when it’s flag waving time,
You are all first in line,
To be on your way back.
On that same road,
When Johnny Comes Marching Home.

You can shake your fist at the darkness.
And vent your spleen to anybody with ears.
But you can’t underestimate all of The Great Talk
That only ends in tears.

You can take your pain to some Doctor:
“Doctor it hurts when I move this way!”
But you can’t get a hand
With a joke like that.
They don’t get it anyway…

Talking and talking for hours like we do.
And yet the proper sentiments fall through.
You see things your way.
And I can’t break through.
It’s evident the consequence of too much staying true
And so I say to you… If you hear one
Or two
Or three sounds
Coming from this side of the room
That you don’t understand.
Don’t be beside yourself
And think that someone else could take my heart.

If there are four
Or five
Or six things
Coming the heart of things
It doesn’t mean to me

I’d be beside myself
And think that someone else could take your heart.
Isn’t that a place to start?

Walking around this
For hours
Like we do.
And never get beyond the ‘I love yous…’

You see things your way
And if my stand stays true
It’s evident the consequence
Of always staying true
And so I beg of you…

Woke up this morning just to read what the papers say.
I read a story about girl who washed up the other day.
There was no money for fella so she went away.
Was she reported to the force? Well no one could say.
And when they asked the detectives why their hands are tied?
The answer came back: ‘Money’. I turned my TV on and look at a burning sky
The soldier stood back while ten people cried.
I tell me self it’s not us but some other guys
But every explanation that you get is just a lie.
And when you ask at the desk why so many die?
The answer you’re given: ‘Money’.

You’re think you’re safe
You think you’re all grown
All disconnected from the people you’ve wronged.
All the writers living now are looking out to see.
Exactly how the best things in life are still free.

You think it’s bad?
Well you should see the other guy!
You couldn’t tell me so you say I’m just the nervous type.
You made me think that I was simply giving up.
While all your buddies at the club, you just live it up.
And if we ever take a break and wonder why?

Survey says…

M-O-N-E-Y

You’re think you’re safe
You think you’re long gone. All quarantined from the people you’ve harmed.
All the writers living now are waiting to see.
Exactly how the best things in life are still free.

Last night I dreamed I died and my soul up and flew away.
I passed the Pearly Gates and walked through clouds along the way.
I stood in line until St. Peter told me I could stay.
I was so happy I got down on my knees and began to pray.
And then they told me there was one thing left…

I have to pay?

Now me and Julie and Billy and Tim
Went up to the place where the war had been.
We all thought that we would have ourselves some day!
No school or jail, military stay
Ever built a game that was too extreme.
We thought we were skinned in teflon.

We would stand outside the hold.
Till we knew all the men were gone.

Julie told Timmy ‘Get down!’
Coz she new it was wrong.
Billy was sure it’d be fun,
But it wasn’t this time.

II
Now Billy and Timmy took Julie in step.
They went up to the room where the goodies were kept.
They thought that they were doing well
But they had been trapped.
A fuse had failed;
An electric blaze.
Timmy and Julie could’ve walked away.
But Billy had made his choice with God
And he began to shout…

Forward lads! We don’t roll like that!

Billy threw Julie a rope
But he never looked back.
Julie told Timmy, ‘There’s fire on the ground’
And the pain won’t stop. This time.

Forward lads. We don’t roll like that!

Billy and Timmy got tired,
Thinking they would go home.
Julie stopped thinking of fun
As her body turned cold.

[TV Announcer]
In a shocking discovery,
today State Police announced that they had found
the body of a teenage woman at the site of the old
gas re-processing plant near Interstate 23.
Police are offering no further details regarding
the youngster’s fate pending notification of next of kin.

Well I was planning on having my suicide.
Because it was a Wednesday night.
There seemed to be no calls on the telephone.
So I thought I’d get it done in time.

But then the thoughts start building up.
Room starts getting hot.
And I couldn’t find my tools.

So I turned on the TV news.
Tried to shuck away these blues.
And tell myself it’s all in my mind.

Bass?

I’ve been doing my best just to stay alive.
And I’ve been journalling every night.
And I’ve been listing all the reasons I don’t need to die.
And I’ve been keeping it in plain sight.

So when I’m feeling down
Write it down
Take a pill
Calm down
And everything seems fine.

But then I come down
Temples pound
Vital signs all go to town
And I’m right back in my Wednesday night.

Why not? Now if you’re listening and you’re wondering if I took the dive
Or if I’m pencilled in for Wednesday’s fright.
Nope I’ve been thinkin’ there’s a reason why I still survive.
And it’s as easy as two pills each night

And now I can’t wait to medicate, it’s a date and don’t be late.
Yeah every thing feels fine.

And now with joy found,
Do the town
So long as we don’t come on down.

Don’t let them tell you it’s all in your mind.

I
Thinking back on your life.
With everything you’ve built going wrong.
Making sense in a time,
When every time makes no sense at all.

Strolling back through the aisles.
With every thing you’d want all gone.
Looking down at every sample in place.
Was anything you (still) wanted at all?

But I….
Every time I blew it.
Man you pulled me through it.
And I…
You were the best friend I ever had.

II
Probing each of the lies
Remember each one felt so wrong.
Thinking after each night in your heart.
How every day still felt so long?

And I…
There were the times you knew it.
Man, I put you through it.
And I…
In spite of everything I never said,
You were the best friend I ever had.

BRIDGE

You can bleed yourself
For someone else,
But you always bleed alone.

And you dreamed yourself
As someone else,
But they never seemed to come.

Until I let you know.

III
Reaching down through the vines
To find your way clear out of this night.
Hoping here in a place in the dark
That you can end an endless fight.

And I….
For all the the times you knew it.
…Man, you saw through it.
And I…
In spite of everything I ever said,
And if there’s anything I never said,
You were the best friend I ever had.

I

Now when Donny was in his prime.
He could make a lot of silver from his stocks.
He could promise himself he could run it himself
He could make a whole world out of blocks.

He wanted to pay them and give it a shot
And he would end up on top.

Man, there was nothing that he couldn’t make.
Except a mess.

II

There’s broken glass in the yards.
Where the iron ore steamers used to stop.
Every promise they made.
Every summer we played.
Now it’s raining outside at the docks.

I want to be fair.
Not easily shocked.
But were we ever on top?

Man there was nothing that we couldn’t take.
Except the mess.

BRIDGE

Tear down the house
That my grandfather built.
There’s nothing left to keep these bones
But I see them still.

Tear down every house
But build your own new dream.

He raised a family.
He built a business.
He served his country

And made the difference,

That won the war and
Conceived inventions.
A Golden Age.
All things that you can’t see.

Coda

(Sic transit gloria mundi)

Did you ever ride the park,
Fronting on the river
scene?.
When the avenues were young.
Over Grosse Pointe through the trees.

Did you ever see the plan,
When the century was young?
All the buildings star
Driving fast down Evergreen.

When the elm trees lined the avenues
Standing tall against the green.
Wraooed in halos by the motor cars
Like nobody’s ever seen.

Now we drive on down the boulevard
Past the buildings racked with pain.
And I squint so hard through broken glass
Trying hard to see the past.

And then no one sees the emptiness.
When I cannot find a job.
Having seen the thought of,…
Will the future look Supremes?

I used to think I would change the world.
I’d make this system run.
I used to think I would stake out my place.
But then I lost my way.

And everything I would tell to my self
And every thing I could claim as my wealth.
I used to think I could make from my heart.
But that was some other day.

Falling, falling
Too wide road.
There was so much there I could not know.

Falling, falling
Down below.
Falling down again.

CHORUS

I’m going to start my life over.
And I will live my life again.
And I will love you more than words could say
If I had changed the world.

I’m going to say one tomorrow
Was so much better than today.
And I will never look for any more time
Or any words to say.

II

I used to think I had left the world.
I’d made the best of what I had left.
I used to think I’d forgotten my heart
But then I found my way.

And everything I had kept to myself
And everything I had made without help.
I used to think there were no tomorrows
But then you came my way.

Growing, growing old I know.
There is something, somewhere still to go.
Knowing, so much more to know
Fall in love again.

I’m going to start my life over.
And I will live my life again.
And I will love you more than words could say
And I will change the world!

I’m going to say that tomorrow
Was so much better than today.
And I will never look for any more time
Or any words to say.

I’m going to start my life over.
And I will live my life again.
And I will love you more than words could say
And I will change the world.

Wake up!
Scream out!

Come on baby, there’s no doubt.
I thought that you would understand
There’s no time left!

I’m going to say that tomorrow
Was so much better than today.
For we are never given any more time
Than any words can say.