1. |
Letter to the Editor
03:54
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Did you catch the news today? Two women died in that hurricane
And they were drowning while I complained that my flight had been delayed
Now there’s another storm coming through. It’s supposed to be a big one too—
Too big to not write to you
To trade in this half-empty glass
To change the way I see
To give up on the greener grass
That has never changed a thing
Sure, it’s not that hard to find a flaw
When the Earth is red in tooth and claw
But I’d like to learn to love it anyway
That accident on the interstate was so bad that they closed both lanes
And a man was dying, while I complained that the traffic wouldn’t move
Soon all the cars will drive themselves. Some people think it will really help—
Help me complain about something else
So grant me the serenity
To accept what I can’t change
And give me the audacity
To look the other way
For the oracle is telling me
The story is a tragedy
But I’d like to learn to love it anyway
No, I don’t want to love in spite of it
Like it’s just some sad mistake
No, I would rather love because of it
Oh, the contrast that creates
All of the colors found with every twist
Of this kaleidoscopic fate
No, I’d like to learn to love it—
Yes, I’d like to learn to love it anyway
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2. |
This Too
03:33
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In a distant land lived a mighty king
And he asked his men for a magic ring
That could serve him in both his misery and joy
And so his servants searched, they searched far and wide
But no such ring did the servants find
They had given up, they were out of time and hope
‘Til seeking solace in a wise man,
They were delivered from their terrible task
How the servants’ hearts did swoon and sing
As the wise man carved into a ring:
“This too—This too shall pass”
So the mighty king was quite satisfied
With the wise man’s ring, though his foolish pride
Wouldn’t let the words sink into his mind just yet
And as his kingdom grew, so the people cheered
And the ring’s whisper became hard to hear
While the wealth and health and fame kept fear at bay
‘Til one bright morning in the courtyard
The king was standing to address the mass
When the light did fall upon his ring
And the king recalled the prophecy:
“This too—This too shall pass”
For not a stone would be left standing
And every mountain’d be laid low at last
But the king would bow as he greeted death
And he’d sing out loud with his fleeting breath:
“This too—This too shall pass”
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3. |
The Astronaut (Part II)
03:50
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Behold the astronaut, the high command
The pinnacle of modern man
Above the sea and sky he stands, unfeeling and unphased
‘Til all the chaos of the universe
The strength of the insane absurd
It throws him back down to the earth, disheveled and disgraced
So you build your crystal palace high up in the sky
And though you won’t triumph, you will try
Behold the astronaut, alone at sea
He crashed into the ocean deep
He’d strap sea turtles to his feet if they weren’t scared of him
Now there’s a whirlpool that’s ripening
The gyre quickly widening
Where falcons cannot hear a thing and astronauts can’t swim
So you build your crystal palace high up in the sky
The rivers of Babylon will never leave you dry
And though you won’t triumph, you will try
Oh, you will try
Behold the astronaut, so far from home
He washed up on a shore unknown
He’d build a tower out of stone, but all he sees is sand
Mistaking confidence for competence
He calls himself an optimist
And builds until the sand is wet and running through his hands
So you build your crystal palace high up in the sky
The rivers of Babylon will never leave you dry
And what would it take to teach the man that he can’t fly?
And though you won’t triumph, you will try
Oh, you will try
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4. |
For What It's Worth
04:55
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Turn it up
This is my favorite part
Watch how the tiger catches the deer in the dark
Its teeth were sharpened by the Darwinian arc
Of a million years
And hyenas laugh from their secret hiding place
As the tiger’s teeth find a purpose in its prey
And the helpless deer sings the song of life on Earth
But it’s still grateful to the band—for what it’s worth
Light it up
The jungle set aflame
Once a month, we keep it thin to keep it tame
Cleaning up after our ancestors' mistakes
For a hundred years
And the hunter sets his sights and takes his aim
As the tiger flees from the fire man has made
And a shot rings out as the great cat hits the Earth
But it’d still praise the blood-stained land—for what it’s worth
Look it up
Or look across the street
Flies on their faces and nothing on their feet
These little ones will be lucky if they breathe
For a couple years
And the women laugh from their cages in Bombay
As the children clap from Calcutta-bound freight trains
And their song is lost to the chaos of the Earth
But they still lift up holy hands—for what it’s worth
And the people sing for the day their gods have made
As the bishop bows in a foreign land to pray:
“Let the Lord rain down His judgment on the Earth
But I still love the heart of man—for what it’s worth”
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5. |
Nothing Personal
03:43
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Ships pass in the night
A sleeping sea beneath a low-hanging moon
And a blanket of stars
Prying heroes from an ill-fated coup
But it’s nothing personal
Ships pass in the night
A shadow flickers against the ominous glow
Of a confident light
Risking silence to invite another soul
And the call is returned
Oh sweet communion: two flames upon the sea
And a voice is obscured
None make the effort to decipher what it sings
But it’s nothing personal
Nothing personal
I wait for you there
Where your ship passed, once in a dream
To retrieve what was lost—
A shallow word, a pearl button in the sea
But it’s nothing personal
Nothing personal
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6. |
Anything & Everything
03:44
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Don't hold back-just how do you feel?
Could you find the sound that would make it real
To your animal flesh, to your animal bones
And remind us both what the animals know
Tell me your secrets
Your prayers at night
Show me your shadow
And I'll show mine
But the Earth still turns, and the sun still shines
On the animal world, on the birds in flight
Can you hear them sing? How they sing for you
And we sing for them, as animals do
We are not alone
Just listen to them sing
A song so absurd
It could mean anything
But it means everything
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7. |
It Is Good
05:39
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Darkness on the water
A spirit in the wind
The Earth is born and without form and chaos closes in
'Til bursting forth in glory-oh, the light that burns within!
A voice begins
"It is good, it is good
The water, the fire-the spirit, earth, and wind
Yes, it is good, it is good
And I would do it all again"
There's wisdom in the garden
But a serpent in the grass
A just reward, a flaming sword, a flood throughout the land
'Til arcing across the heavens-oh, the rainbow bids you stand!
A voice commands
"It is good, it is good
The colors, the wonders—the consequence of man
Yes, it is good, it is good
And I would do it all again"
The ego of an artist
The scribble of a pen
Upon a page, a final say as life draws to an end
But it's not some idle claim—no, to say and mean 'Amen!'
A voice, again:
"It is good, it is good
The valleys, the mountains-the beginning and the end
Yes, it is good, it is good
And I would do it all again
And I would do it all"
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