lyrics

1989

Batty told me from the rooftop said I was gonna have to get it straight

don’t know how much time we’ve got but you know when it’s too late

and as my time expires as my eyes see their last

remember what you’ve seen here remember what I’ve asked

no one gets to live forever

we all know we can’t

does no one want to make the effort?

the moment is all we have

heroes in a movie the past on strips of celluloid

memories made immediate  to fill some hidden void

dream dreams of future wonders one wonders in dreams out loud

but sometimes here in the real world lives pass without a soun

are you ready for the nineties

well somebody’s got to be

I’ve been watching from afar

I’ve been listening real hard

so it might as well be me

so you want to live forever

well I don’t think I do

but if you want to save the world

change begins with you

COLD HARD TRUTH

well I’ve got a lot of questions

and I’ve got a lot of doubts

what I haven’t got is time

won’t you help me figure it out?

and I’ve got a lot of problems

and I’m hoping you’ll help solve them

wash away my worries with your hands

what does it take

to turn a steel heart to gold?

how long must I wait

cause it’s really, really cold

and I don’t care if it’s not painless

I haven’t felt a thing for ages

I am only human and impatient

so I read a book on Hitler

and I read a book by Marx

through One Hundred Years of Solitude,

Revelations and DesCartes

will we ever learn will

we ever grow up?

the truth often hurts

it’s made of bitter stuff

and the cold hard truth is…

I WOULD BRING YOU WATER

you’d give your heart away

to those who’d do you harm

I won’t promise you a pedestal

but I can keep you warm

whenever you’re afraid

your skies no longer blue

I’ll shelter you from the rain

until the sun breaks through

I will always love you

I would never leave you

no matter what

I would bring you water

my hands the cup

so give yourself a break

you can heal the pain inside

my arms are warm and safe

if you need someplace to hide

so you’ve lived a lifetime

never knowing about trust

my heart is always open

to you with all my love

I hope that it’s enough

if you need someone to cry to, if you need someone to hold

I’ll be here for you always through the years as we grow old

and the sun will come pouring in everyday is spring

and we can begin to live again…

I’ll see you again when the rain comes my friend

and washes away all our sins…

Heart of the sun

Some can’t see the forest

Or the sun for the shine

Some have never seen the stars

Having never looked up at night

But at the heart of the sun all things are one

Turn your face toward the light

Heart of the sun all the angels come

Solve the mystery of your life

Some folks speak of god’s will

As if they’ve got a clue

Some think they know everything

Who knows, maybe some do

But at the heart of the sun all things are one

Turn your face toward the light

Heart of the sun all the angels come

Solve the mystery of your life

And I believe that heaven’s here

And when you’re dead your gone

And I’m sure that when my time comes

I’ll be happy to be wrong

But at the heart of the sun all hearts are one

Turn your face toward the light

Heart of the sun all the angels come

Solve the mystery of your life

And all the angels come

NOTHING’S FUNNY ANYMORE

an old friend died last night

how he made us laugh,

how he made us cry

don’t you wonder why?

why do people have to fight

we’re all we’ve got

you and  I

it’s cold and lonely outside

and nothing’s funny anymore

on the eve of world war

we shake our heads and try to ignore

that nothing’s funny anymore

there must be more than black and white

or do we just enjoy these lies

we tell ourselves

God help us all tonight

don’t you ever wonder why?

it’s the world,

and  I can’t hide

if it’s all a joke

then this is some punchline

and nothing’s funny anymore

on the eve of world war

we shake our heads and try to ignore

but don’t you feel it getting warm?

Time is running short

And nothing’s funny anymore

The comedian died last night

How he made us laugh

NO CAUSE FOR ALARM

in the shade of the watershed

a mistake that I made and haven’t paid for yet

so I set sail you know I meant what I said

I can’t forget sweet the taste of innocence

as I make my way across the ocean

just so I can hold you in my arms

oh hell and I thought I told you

but it’s No Cause For Alarm

in the wake of the exodus

I hear her name I hope that I’m the one she loves

and now the walls are falling and life looks bright today

but I know it isn’t real until you give it away

maybe it was a minor chord that she touched in me

and I swore I’d cause her no harm

oh helen I thought I told you

but it’s No Cause For Alarm

you know you can find me you know I’ll be there

where we can speak in silence

you know where

as I make my way through this commotion

just so I can talk to you at the bar

oh well I just want to hold you

but it’s no cause for alarm

BETA RAY BILL

they’re gathering in the orbit of Mars

so many ships that they eclipse the stars

zero hour’s not that far

fear settles on every human heart

from a land several lightyears away

falls a man from out of space

the sole survivor of his race

he’ll put the badguys back in their place

you’re the only hope we’ve got so please

Beta Ray Bill

can you keep us free?

Beta Ray Bill you’re the last chance for our world

and there’s a place for you here on earth

if there’s a world to come back to

Beta Ray Bill you know that we love you

THE GIRL FROM NEW ZEALAND

like ivory on a granite stone

a statue she stands her vigil alone

on a lush green hillside so far from home

she stares down from her pedestal

from where she watches the harbor below

where tramps steam in  and wild icebergs roam

and someday if the sea is kind enough

then the girl from New Zealand will come

on the back of a Blue whale

from the depths to the sun

in Christchurch she kneels in the cold

to absolve all the lies that her father told

that in her heart salvation might be sown

her tears melt through the ice and the snow

I would give my life if it would save her soul

safe from the cold I need her love to save my own

and when I kiss her I can taste the sea

that brought the girl from New Zealand to me

on the back of a Blue whale

while the world above sleeps

and one day…

SHANGRI LA

we met a man in a Tibetan abbey

said he knew a way to make us happy

and if we’re not too far gone

he’ll show us where we went wrong

and the way to Shangri la

we come from a distant country

we laugh ‘though our hearts are heavy

we search for the road to Shangri la

he said ‘make your own choice and then you’ll be free,

but for now have faith and listen to me

travel towards the setting sun

you’ll find the land of Lost Horizons

there’s a place called Shangri la

I know how hard it is

but nothing I know could be greater than this

for I’ve seen Shangri la

such a long long way…but I know I’ll get there someday

so we sailed across the widest ocean

traveled the world and far beyond

we walked along the Razor’s Edge

looks like the sun is going to come out again

but still no trace of Shangri la

we searched for another decade

‘til we found we were there already

Shangri la is where you are

15 seconds

I saw you on your pod cast on  the web last night

Then visited you on your myspace page

you are so outtasite

You’re groovy, keen, and you’re beautiful

so tell me you don’t mind

That I found out your mother’s maiden name

and I googled you online

That picture’s clearly been photoshopped

so there’s nothing to deny

And you’re so fit and cute in your black jack boots

you’re the fun jedi

Andy Warhol got it right I guess

the price of fame is being famous

Now you’ve got fifteen seconds or less

Until we find your replacement

Now you’re famous for fifteen seconds

While the universe is teaching you a lesson

Beware of what you beg for baby

Cause you might get it

Time to find a new mantra

now that you’ve got what you’re after

Just one question baby

are you happy?

Now that you’re famous for fifteen seconds…