1. AMERICAN PIE

A long, long time ago...
I can still remember
How that music used to make me smile.
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And, maybe, they'd be happy for a while.

But february made me shiver
With every paper I'd deliver.
Bad news on the doorstep;
I couldn't take one more step.

I can't remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride,
But something touched me deep inside
The day the music died.

So bye-bye, miss american pie.
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin', "this'll be the day that I die.
"this'll be the day that I die."

Did you write the book of love,
And do you have faith in God above,
If the Bible tells you so?
Do you believe in rock 'n roll,
Can music save your mortal soul,
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?

Well, I know that you're in love with him
`cause I saw you dancin' in the gym.
You both kicked off your shoes.
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues.

I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck,
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died.

I started singin',
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
And singin', "this'll be the day that I die.
"this'll be the day that I die."

Now for ten years we've been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rollin' stone,
But that's not how it used to be.
When the jester sang for the king and queen,
In a coat he borrowed from james dean
And a voice that came from you and me,

Oh, and while the king was looking down,
The jester stole his thorny crown.
The courtroom was adjourned;
No verdict was returned.
And while Lennon read a book of Marx,
The quartet practiced in the park,
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died.

We were singing,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
And singin', "this'll be the day that I die.
"this'll be the day that I die."

Helter skelter in a summer swelter.
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter,
Eight miles high and falling fast.
It landed foul on the grass.
The players tried for a forward pass,
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast.

Now the half-time air was sweet perfume
While the sergeants played a marching tune.
We all got up to dance,
Oh, but we never got the chance!
`cause the players tried to take the field;
The marching band refused to yield.
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died?

We started singing,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
And singin', "this'll be the day that I die.
"this'll be the day that I die."

Oh, and there we were all in one place,
A generation lost in space
With no time left to start again.
So come on: jack be nimble, jack be quick!
Jack flash sat on a candlestick
Cause fire is the devil's only friend.

Oh, and as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage.
No angel born in hell
Could break that satan's spell.
And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite,
I saw satan laughing with delight
The day the music died

He was singing,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
And singin', "this'll be the day that I die.
"this'll be the day that I die."

I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news,
But she just smiled and turned away.
I went down to the sacred store
Where I'd heard the music years before,
But the man there said the music wouldn't play.

And in the streets: the children screamed,
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed.
But not a word was spoken;
The church bells all were broken.
And the three men I admire most:
The father, son, and the holy ghost,
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died.

And they were singing,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin', "this'll be the day that I die.
"this'll be the day that I die."

They were singing,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin', "this'll be the day that I die."


2. TILL TOMORROW

What can this be, can you tell me?
Would you like to discover
Why we're not free to be lovers?
I've been wanting to ask you

Where has all the love gone
And what have we become?
Storm clouds full of thunder
Move silent as they drum

And when they're gone, we'll be fine, till tomorrow
Oh, I hope it won't rain
You will be mine and my sorrow
Will take wings in the morning

High above the Heavens
A rainbow paints the sky
White doves sing their songs of love
I watch them as they fly, and wonder

What can this be, can you tell me?
Would you like to discover
Why we're not free to be lovers?


3. VINCENT (STARRY, STARRY NIGHT)

Starry, starry night
Paint your palette blue and gray
Look out on a summer's day
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul

Shadows on the hills
Sketch the trees and the daffodils
Catch the breeze and the winter chills
In colors on the snowy linen land

Now, I understand, what you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen, they did not know how
Perhaps they'll listen now

Starry, starry night
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze
Swirling clouds in violet haze
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue

Colors changing hue
Morning fields of amber grain
Weathered faces lined in pain
Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand

Now, I understand, what you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen, they did not know how
Perhaps they'll listen now

For they could not love you
But still your love was true
And when no hope was left inside
On that starry, starry night

You took your life as lovers often do
But I could have told you, Vincent
This world was never meant for one
As beautiful as you

Starry, starry night
Portraits hung in empty halls
Frame less heads on nameless walls
With eyes that watch the world and can't forget

Like the strangers that you've met
The ragged men in ragged clothes
The silver thorn of bloody rose
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow

Now, I think I know what you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen, they're not listening still
Perhaps they never will


4. CROSSROADS

I've got nothing on my mind, nothing to remember
Nothing to forget, I've got nothing to regret
But I'm all tied up on the inside
No one knows quite what I've got
And I know that on the outside
What I used to be, I'm not anymore

You know I've heard about people like me
But I never made the connection
They walk one road to set them free
And find they've gone the wrong direction

But there's no need for turning back
'Cause all roads lead to where I stand
And I believe I'll walk them all
No matter what I may have planned

Can you remember who I was? Can you still feel it?
Can you find my pain? Can you heal it?
Then lay your hands upon me now
And cast this darkness from my soul
You alone can light my way
You alone can make me whole once again

We've walked both sides of every street
Through all kinds of windy weather
But that was never our defeat
As long as we could walk together

So there's no need for turning back
'Cause all roads lead to where we stand
And I believe we'll walk them all
No matter what we may have planned.


5. WINTERWOOD

No one can take your place with me
And time has proven that I'm right
There's no place I'd rather be
Than at your place for the night

No time can pass your sight unseen
No moment steals away unfound
Lifetime lived in such a dream
Floats like a feather to the ground

And for the first time I've been seeing
The things I'd never noticed without you
And for the first time I'm discovering
The things I used to treasure about you

The birds like leaves on Winterwood
Sing hopeful songs on dismal days
They've learned to live life as they should
They are at peace with Nature's ways

You are as natural as the night
And all that springs from you is good
And the children born beneath your light
Are like the birds on Winterwood

And for the first time I've been seeing
The things I'd never noticed without you
And for the first time I'm discovering
The things I used to treasure about you


6. EMPTY CHAIRS

I feel the trembling tingle of a sleepless night
Creep through my fingers and the moon is bright
Beams of blue come flickering through my windowpane
Like gypsy moths that dance around a candle flame

And I wonder if you know
That I never understood
That although you said you'd go
Until you did, I never thought you would

Moonlight used to bathe the contours of your face
While chestnut hair fell all around the pillow case
And the fragrance of your flowers rest beneath my head
A sympathy bouquet left with the love that's dead

And I wonder if you know
That I never understood
That although you said you'd go
Until you did, I never thought you would

Never thought the words you said were true
Never thought you said just what you meant
Never knew how much I needed you
Never thought you'd leave, until you went

Morning comes and morning goes with no regret
And evening brings the memories I can't forget
Empty rooms that echo as I climb the stairs
And empty clothes that drape and fall on empty chairs

And I wonder if you know
That I never understood
That although you said you'd go
Until you did, I never thought you would


7. EVERYBODY LOVES ME, BABY

Fortune has me well in hand
Armies wait at my command
My gold lies in a foreign land
Buried deep beneath the sand

The angels guide my every tread,
My enemies are sick or dead
But all the victories I've led
Haven't brought you to my bed

You see, everybody loves me, baby,
What's the matter with you?
Won't ya tell me what did I do to offend you?

Now the purest race I've bred for thee
To live in my democracy
And the highest human pedigree
Awaits the first-born boy baby

And my face on every coin engraved
The anarchists are all enslaved
My own flag is forever waved
By the grateful people I have saved

You see, everybody loves me, baby,
What's the matter with you?
Won't ya tell me what did I do to offend you?

Now, no land is beyond my claim
When the land is seized in the people's name
By evil men who rob and maim
If war is hell, I'm not to blame!

Why, you can't blame me, I'm Heaven's child
I'm the second son of Mary mild
And I'm twice removed from Oscar Wilde
But he didn't mind, why, he just smiled

Yes, and the ocean parts when I walk through
And the clouds dissolve and the sky turns blue
I'm held in very great value
By everyone I meet but you

'Cause I've used my talents as I could
I've done some bad, I've done some good
I did a whole lot better than they thought I would so C'mon and treat me like you should!

Because everybody loves me, baby
What's the matter with you?
Tell me what did I do to offend you?

Everybody loves me, baby
What's the matter with you?
Tell me what did I do to offend you?

Yeah, everybody loves me, baby
What's the matter with you?
Tell me what did I do to offend you?


8. SISTER FATIMA

The spirit of Fatima still rules the Earth
She knows your future, she knows what it's worth
Sister Fatima has God-given powers
And on 42nd Street a shop that sells flowers
Is her palace, come and be healed

She knows all your business, your health and your ills
She'll counsel your weddings, divorces and wills
For full restoration five dollars an hour
And with each consultation a free holy flower
And if she likes you, why, you can have two

And I came from nowhere like you and your friend
My searching and wandering went on without end
My future was dim, my spirit was crushed
In one sacred moment my questions were hushed

I'm a servant of fate in this garden of truth
A humble recruit of the taffeta booth
Where all things are known but few are revealed
Where sins are forgotten and sickness is healed
For five dollars the flower is free


9. THE GRAVE

The grave that they dug him had flowers
Gathered from the hillsides in bright summer colors,
And the brown earth bleached white at the edge of his gravestone. He's gone.

When the wars of our nation did beckon,
A man barely twenty did answer the calling.
Proud of the trust that he placed in our nation,
He's gone,
But eternity knows him, and it knows what we've done.

And the rain fell like pearls on the leaves of the flowers
Leaving brown, muddy clay where the earth had been dry.
And deep in the trench he waited for hours,
As he held to his rifle and prayed not to die.

But the silence of night was shattered by fire
As guns and grenades blasted sharp through the air.
And one after another his comrades were slaughtered.
In morgue of marines, alone standing there.

He crouched ever lower, ever lower with fear.
"they can't let me die! the can't let me die here!
I'll cover myself with the mud and the earth.
I'll cover myself! I know I'm not brave!
The earth! the earth! the earth is my grave."

The grave that they dug him had flowers
Gathered from the hillsides in bright summer colors,
And the brown earth bleached white at the edge of his gravestone. He's gone.


10. BABYLON

By the waters
The waters of Babylon
We lay down and wept
And wept for, thee Zion
We remember, thee remember
Thee remember, thee Zion

By the waters
The waters of Babylon
We lay down and wept
And wept for thee Zion
We remember, thee remember
Thee remember, thee Zion

By the waters
The waters of Babylon
We lay down and wept
And wept for thee Zion
We remember, thee remember
Thee remember, thee Zion


11. MOTHER NATURE

I want her so bad
Mother Nature has a hold on me
I want her so bad
Mother Nature won't you let me be untied?
'Cause it hurts my pride
To be tossed off like the morning covers
And crossed off, like her other lovers
Casually

I see her walking by my window- mhmmhmmhmmhmm
It seems to me I know her well.
But like the flowers in the spring time,
Growing toward the sunshine,
Her beauty falls upon me in a fragrant spring time spell

And I want her so ba-aa-aad
Mother Nature has a hold on me
I want her so bad
Mother Nature won't you let me be untied?
'Cause it hurts my pride
To be tossed off like the morning covers
And crossed off, like her other lovers
Casually

Is she an icy winter woman? Mm-hhmm
That chills my body when she's near
Sweet fever in the morning
I don't know if I'll survive
She walks by me as though she didn't
Know I was alive

And I want her so ba-aa-aad
Mother Nature has a hold on me
I want her so bad
Mother Nature won't you let me be untied?
'Cause it hurts my pride
To be tossed off like the morning covers
And crossed off, like her other lovers
Tossed off like the morning covers
Crossed off, like her other lovers
Tossed off like the morning covers
Crossed off, like her other lovers...


12. AFTERMATH

Windows in a silent room,
Sunlight burns the walls to black
Angles and dimensions melt
While colors drip and pillows crack

Reflections of my memories
Like pictures pasted on a sheet,
A ribbon film of seperate frames
Lying curled up at my feet.

The film is just a snake-design
And the photographs are fading fast
These are not memories of mine
I have no future, no past

I have seen a thousand afternoons
Dissolve into the night.
Like sugar crystals on a spoon
They disappear from sight.
Grey days from the crispest morning
To the warmest afternoon
In this room.

And I like to draw
The face I saw so long ago.
My image in the mirror tells the jagged lines
Which way to go.
A black-and-white description of
The sole survivor of the Holocaust
All the rest were lost.

Do you see this paper face?
It has no color or no mood.
My eyes are ageless as am I
I need no sleep, I need no food.
I am a king, but like a child,
The other children laugh at me.
Tongues of fire wagging wild,
They dance around me merrily.

I'll kill them all,
And if I fail,
I'll kill whoever I can find.
Then they'll beg me to be kind.

My eyes have seen far more
Than eyes can ever tell:
This planet plunged through mushroom fires
Of earthly hell.
I know that my sweet Jesus said that He would return...
But Babylon has fallen,
And the cities...

Burn.