well the sheaves have all been brought, 
but the fields have washed away 
and the palaces now stand 
where the coffins all were laid 
and the times we see ahead
we must glaze with rosy hues 
for we don't wish to admit 
what it is we have to lose 

millennia in coming 
the modern age is here 
it sanctifies the future 
yet renders us with fear 
so many theories, so many prophecies 
what we do need is a change of ideas 
when we are scared 
we can hide in our reveries 
but what we need is a change of ideas 
change of ideas, change of ideas 
what we need now is a change of ideas 

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Big Bang 

this isn't another new fashion 
or a new wave plastic trend 
everybody's searching for something 
but in the mean time let's all just pretend 
I've got this feeling 
and I don't know what it is 
this room is overcrowded, man, 
and I need air to breath 

big bang, big crunch 
you know there's no free lunch 
kneel down and pray 
here comes your judgment day 
big crunch, you know 
it's going to be quite a show 
what goes around always comes around 

a million hopeless faces 
dwell within protected walls 
all waiting for a moment in their lives 
when they can heed the clarion call 
and it's all so oppressive 
my mind feels like a sieve 
this city is overcrowded, man, 
and I need room to live 

I think of the countless shadows 
that have all come and gone 
all suffering in the notion of better things to come 
if you share these beliefs 
you know I wish you well 
'cause there's no room left in heaven 
and there's sure no room in hell! 

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No Control 

culture was the seed of proliferation 
but it has gotten melded into an inharmonic whole 
consciousness has plagued us and we can not shake it 
though we think we're in control 
questions that besiege us in life 
are testament of our helplessness 
"there's no vestige of a beginning, 
no prospect of an end" (Hutton, 1795) 
when we all disintegrate it will all happen again 

time is so rock solid in the minds of the hoards but they can't 
explain why it should slip away
history and future are the comforts of 
our curiosity but here we are 
rooted in the present day 

if you came to conquer you'll be king for a day 
but you too will deteriorate and quickly fade away 
and believe these words you hear 
when you think your path is clear 

we have no control 
we do not understand 
you have no control 
you are not in command! 

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Sometimes I Feel Like 

there's a spectre in the corner of an illustrated page 
and a lonesome muted stripling with a rapt remedial gaze 
the poverty of his language and the wealth of his emotion 
bring him endless murky musings and unexpected frustration 
angst and madness weave the fabric of his life 
tomorrow might be better 
but right now it feels like 
#&%#"@$#!"&(*""%%75838769%("%56("5965&65"$"%423!(060_*"7534# 

there's a panther wild and proud 
behind the doors of a redolent cage 
and an undeveloped intellect 
filled with impotent and static rage 
and don't think you're exempt 
if you earn a good weekly wage 
'cause your neighbor's going crazy 
and insanity's contagious! 
I know there's so much you want to say 
but your tongue gets in the way 
and sometimes it feels like 
)"&*()"&$%#68%3*(48"&% 

I know there's so much you want to say 
and the tumbrel of your mind gets in the way 
it's the same for everybody to degrees 
we all get that foggy freeze 
and sometimes it feels like 
%&$#*%(&")""$%@*%)*&"%(65("$8%$#&3("5(&%)9%9"$868 

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Automatic Man 

he's the latest super hero with powers so profound 
he can leap a dotted line in just a single bound 
I know you must have seen him in books and magazines 
he's the quintessential, mindless, modern epicene 
his life is meaningful because he get things done 
(bang bang) he's dead 
chalk up another triumph for our hero 
the automatic man 

it's true you must have met him 
he's your best friend and your foe 
his opinions are determined by the status quo 
a true creature of habit 
he smokes three packs a day 
when he has an original thought 
he forgets it right away 

he's a paradigm of carefree living 
he's our mentor disturb him if you can 
he's the answer if your peace of mind is lacking 
he's our savior 
he is the common man 

so if you are troubled by the daily bump and grind 
then take a careful look around 
and brother you will find... 
the automatic man 

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I Want To Conquer The World 

hey brother christian with your high and mighty errand 
your actions speak so loud I can't hear a word you're saying 
hey sister bleeding heart with all of your compassion 
your labors soothe the hurt but can't assuage temptation 

hey man of science with your perfect rules of measure 
can you improve this place with the data that you gather 
hey mother mercy can your loins bear fruit forever? 
is your fecundity a trammel or a treasure? 

I want to conquer the world 
give all the idiots a brand new religion 
put an end to poverty, uncleanliness and toil 
promote equality in all of my decisions 
with a quick wink of the eye and a "god you must be joking!" 

hey mister diplomat with your worldly aspirations 
did you see your children cry when you left them at the station? 
hey moral soldier you've got righteous proclamation 
and precious tomes to fuel your pulpy conflagrations 

I want to conquer the world 
expose the culprits and feed them to the children 
I'll do away with air pollution 
and then I'll save the whales 
we'll have peace on earth 
and global communion 

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Sanity 

there's a watch in my pocket and its hands are broken 
the face is blank but the gears are turning 
confusion is a fundamental state of mind 
it doesn't really matter what I'm figuring out 
I'm guaranteed to wind up in a state of doubt 
and sanity is a full-time job 
in a world that is always changing 
and sanity is a state of mind that you believe in 
sanity 

there's a shadow on the wall where the paint is peeling 
my body's moving forward but my mind is reeling 
depression is a fundamental state of being 
it doesn't really matter how my day has turned out 
I always end up living in this world of doubt 

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Henchman

stranded 
in a life in which your struggle for acceptance 
is a never-ending chore 
upbraided 
for your actions past and present and rewarded for ideas 
of the future's bright open door 
the henchman 
is the human analogue of the suffering multitudes 
who like good dogs sit and lick for their reward 
so what good advice have I got for you 
to insure against your likely metamorphosis into this reprobate? 
don't be a henchman! 
stand on your laurels 
do what no one else does 
praise the good of other men for good man's sake 
and when everyone else in the world follows your lead 
(although a cold day in hell it will surely be) 
that's when the entire world shall live in harmony 

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It Must Look Pretty Appealing 

the wheat waving next to you is healthy and so fine 
as is dinner with your loved-ones every day 
but your routine is changeless 
through the decades of your life 
green pastures, open spaces, holy ways 

and it must look pretty appealing 
the acres of lights 
the crowded festive nights 
and the millions of others just like you 
it must look pretty appealing 
this other world of sin 
we keep dreaming of what other people do 

the person sitting next to you is dismal and deranged 
on the bus ride home from work to end your day 
and the food on your table is more plastic than protein 
and your intellect depends on your TV 

and it must look pretty appealing 
the pastoral retreat 
the folks on old main street 
and the few pleasant people just like you 
it must look pretty appealing 
the simple way of life 
we keep dreaming of what other people do 
but we never do what other people do 
you're too scared of other people not like you 

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You

there's a place where everyone can be happy 
it's the most beautiful place in the whole fuckin' world 
it's made of candy canes and planes 
and bright, red choo choo trains 
and the meanest little boys 
the most innocent little girls 
and you know, I wish that I could go there 
it's a road that I have not found
and I wish you the best of luck, dear, 
drop a card or letter to my side of town 
'cause there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend 
but baby I'm amazed by the hate that you can send 
and you 
painted my entire world 
but I 
don't have the terpentine to clean what you have soiled 
and I won't forget it 

there's a place where everyone can be right 
even though you remain determined to be opposed 
admittance requires no qualifications 
it's where everyone has been and where everybody goes 
so please try not to be impatient 
for we all hate standing in line 
and when the farm is good and bought 
you'll be there without a thought 
and eternity my friend, is a long fuckin' time 

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Progress

and progress is not intelligently planned 
it's the facade of our heritage 
the odor of our land 
they speak of progress 
in red, white and blue 
it's the structure of the future 
as demise comes seething through 
it's progress 'til there's nothing left to gain 
as the dearth of new ideas 
makes us wallow in our shame 
so before you go to contribute more 
to the destruction of this world you adore 
remember life on earth is but a flash of dawn 
and we're all part of it as the day rolls on 

and progress is a message that we send 
one step closer to the future 
one inch closer to the end 
I say progress is a synonym of time 
we are all aware of it but it's nothing we refine 
and progress is a debt we all must pay 
it's convenience we all cherish 
it's pollution we disdain 
and the cutting edge is dulling 
too many folks to plow through 
just keep your fuckin' distance 
and it can't include you! 

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I Want Something More 

going through a world of sad debris 
regard quixotic reveries of ownership 
the blossoming disease of man called tenure and accretion 
the ancient western treadmill of deception and derision 
but I want something more 

racing through a life of tragic wastage 
I experience the loss of trust and innocence 
the billowing cyclone of time has blown away our reasons 
as we trudge like blind men forward trying to avoid collision 
but I want something more 

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Anxiety 

it's a love song to the self 
a story recapped every day 
it's a world of bogus feelings 
and a world of slow decay 
it's a world of laughter hidden by this world of fear and torment 
a game of strange compulsion, our visceral convulsion 

anxiety for love of life 
anxiety for pain 
anxiety, a feeling that you know you can't contain 
anxiety destroys us but it drives the common man 
foundation of society 
anxiety 
suppress it if you can 

the caste of coffee-achievers didn't perform like they planned 
the morning rush hour traffic is our play of false elan 
so run around your frantic track and lay you down to sleep 
tomorrow's the redemption 
we strive for that exception 

anxiety for love of life 
anxiety for pain 
anxiety, a fear that you have nothing more to gain 
anxiety destroys us but it drives the common man 
foundation of society 
anxiety 
suppress it if you can 

what are we angry for? 
we all need a common cure 
that common goal for which you strive 
to have more than the other guy 

the quest for the truth 
the quest for the gold 
we end up all the same 
the common lie 
the righteous cry 
we end up all the same 
the angry crowd 
those lost and found 
everybody's all the same 
the poet's pen 
these words I lend 
we all bend to anxiety 

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Billy

I can recall the warm youth of a summer day 
the sweetest lemonade 
the darkest game arcade 
and billy had a yearning in the corner of his mind 
it moved him secretly 
it moved him powerfully 
but prescience was lacking and the present was all 
and his aptitudes were carelessly wasted 
and challenging life with the abandon of a fool 
he squandered the hours of his day 

then darkness and disorder slapped him sharply in the face 
it hit him like a friend 
struck something deep within 
he couldn't break the chain of slow decay that seemed to drag him 
just like a fatal tie 
toward the other side 
and billy was a lunatic just barking at the moon 
and his brain was totally wasted 
he then exchanged his friends for a needle and a spoon 
and he threw his future away 

bolt the door and throw away the key 
your dim reflection is all that you can see 
so where is the justice when no one is at fault 
and a human life is tragically wasted? 
how fragile is the flame that burns within us all 
to light each passing day? 

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The World Won't Stop 

you've got to quit your little charade 
and join the freak parade 
now that your road has been paved 
from conception to your grave 
there are enormous things to do 
others' practices to eschew 
to be better than you is impossible to do 
but the world won't stop without you! 

your achievements are unsurpassed 
you are highly-ordered mass 
but you can bet your ass 
your free energy will dissipate 
two billion years thus far 
now mister here you are 
an element in a sea of enthalpic organic compounds 

you're only as elegant as your actions let you be 
a piece of chaos related phylogenetically 
to every living organ system they're siblings don't you see 
the earth rotates and will revolve without you constantly 

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