Heard the future cryin’
Makin’ an awful sound
The self-righteous keep wagin’ war
Shoutin’ other voices down
Calls to reason get swept aside
From the castle walls they build so high
So their point of view can’t be denied
Across the great divide
Can’t hear no ring o’ truth
In the barking of a junk yard dog
Fear is the message & fear is the mask
In the con man’s game of fraud
Can’t buy the spin of the back room boys
As their puppets dance to the empty noise
You can hear it spreadin’ out so far & wide
Across the great divide
Rain falls, rivers flow
Storm clouds gather and the hurricanes blow
Somethin’ evil is a-comin’ on the risin’ tide
Across the great divide
Tensions rise, ammo loads
Sparks ignite and the air explodes
The devil sports a grin, so full o’ pride
Across the great divide
Heard the future cryin’ – such an awful sound
Somewhere across the great divide
Out there across the great divide
I can hear the bells of St. Raphael’s
Such an open, welcome ring
That fills the air, like a gentle prayer
And rides the western wind
There are no words that I’ve ever heard
As these restless days go down
That can match the bells of St. Raphael’s
So clear & so profound
Have you heard the bells of St. Raphael’s?
The message that they bring
One that offers peace to a heart that keeps
Good faith down deep within
How it resonates, like a warm embrace
There is comfort in that sound
As the tolling bells of St. Raphael’s
Proclaim their sacred ground
And when this world turns cruel
All the crooks & fools
Raise a racket that’ll never end
But a gracious call
Cuts right through it all
Like the wisdom of a trusted friend
Can you hear the bells of St. Raphael’s?
As they mark their time & place
To break away from the day-to-day
Towards a state of grace
And through the smiles & tears of the passing years
I hope that every now & then
I will hear the bells of St. Raphael’s
Lead me on my way
Back home
Again.
EVERYTHING IS GONNA BE ALRIGHT
People scratchin’ out lives
Desperate souls
Bangin’ big square pegs
Into little round holes
Are they ever gonna learn how to let it ride
Over the horizon so wide
Everything is gonna be alright
Everything is gonna be ok
The great big world keeps spinnin’ around
In the same old natural way – hey
Everything is gonna be alright
Everything is gonna be ok, just
Keep it cool, keep it light & baby
Everything is gonna be alright
A lotta worry & fear
Anger & guilt
On that scorched & broken ground
Empires get built
Well – above and beyond
These games we play
I’m searchin’ for a reason say
I could use a vacation
From the noisy mess of the money machines
Sail away on a deep blue ocean of dreams
Fashion rages
Never suit me right
Jacket’s too straight
Collar’s too tight
It scratches an’ it itches, baby
There’s the rub
An’ I never fit in
To the Flavour of the Month Club
Join the faithful
Feels all fuzzy & warm
Follow the house rules
& wear the uniform
But I got an allergy in my blood
An’ I never drink the Kool-Aid
Of the Flavour of the Month Club
Never gonna fly the flag
Or carry the colors
Or toe the line dictated by others
Never took the drugs
Never caught the buzz
Never got high on the
Flavour of the Month Club
Vanity Fair
The racket of the lottery
Divas with logos
Never mattered to me
Cuz a taste o’ freedom is a thing I love
An’ I never had a stomach
For the Flavour of the Month Club
No, I’m never gonna fit
But I never cared a bit
‘Cause I never gave a shit
About the Flavour of the Month Club
So here we are
On a big blue rock
Circling the sun
Playin’ beat the clock
How we doin’ so far?
As the years roll by
Fleeting shadows
In the blink of a cosmic eye
Yesterday is gone
Tomorrow waits unknown
I guess we work some things out on our own
I am here – right here
An’ it’s all about now
Right here & now
And if the fates allow
We’ll sort it out somehow
Right here – right now
So here you are
What’re you waitin’ for?
You hope Lady Luck
Comes knockin’ on your door?
No magic secret
No guarantees
Just shades of gray
And questions of degrees
When the deal goes down
It’s up to you & you alone
You’re bound to work
These things out on your own
So here we are
On a big blue rock
Workin’ all these things out on our own
I never chose to come here
But I showed up just the same
One day I’m headed back
From wherever it was I came
Awestruck by the mystery
Things end the way they start
Around these parts
The marketplace is crowded
Outside the old town hall
Full of sound & fury
That makes no sense at all
We auction off the future
Greed runs off the charts
Around these parts
Around these parts
You can hear the silence roar
When the wolves stop howlin’ outside the door
And even angels fall in the endless war
Ragin’ round these parts
Beyond the weathered crosses
On the spires of every church
Beyond the crescent moon & stars
In an endless universe
So many claims upon the truth
In saints’ and sinners’ hearts
Around these parts
We never chose to come here
But the time & place is ours
Flickering gleams of candlelight
In the galaxies of stars
Still there’s dignity & courage
That’s beating in our hearts
Around these parts
And the last verse, like the first
Will end the way it starts
Around these parts