Dead Man's Burden

ALL THE LADIES AND THE GENTLEMEN, THE LIFE FORCE
WHO LINE UP NOSE TO NOSE JUST LIKE
THE HUNGRY ROWS OF ESKIMOS
AND THOSE OF US WITH RAVAGED FACES
RARELY LAUGHED AND TOOK OUR PLACES
LOOKED OURSELVES SQUARE IN THE MIRROR
COWARDS CAUGHT IN FROZEN FEAR
OF DELICATE AND DIFFICULT
THE SUGAR MIXING WITH THE SALT
WE KNOW IT'S NEITHER TRUTH OR FACT
WE KNOW IT'S NOT EXACTLY THAT

IT'S OVER SOON, IT WILL BE OVER SOON
JUST LIKE THE BUFFALO
WE KILLED THE BUFFALO
IT'S ONLY THEN WHEN NEAR TO DEATH
WE LEARN TO LOVE OUR LIVES AGAIN
LIKE WHEN WE WERE BUT LITTLE CHILDREN
RUNNING WILD AMONG THE FIELDS OF GRASS

DID YOU EVER WONDER
WHY ON EARTH WE'RE PUT HERE FOR
ALWAYS BENT AROUND WHO'S FINGER
ONE AMONG THE SAD AND LONELY
WITH NO DIMENSION
ALL THAT EVER CAME BETWEEN
ONCE WERE ALWAYS NEVER ASKING
OPEN HALF A MIND TO QUESTION

AND THE WOLVES ARE CIRCLING
ROUND THE HUDDLED SHIVERING
AND THE HOLY HUMAN RACE
THAT ONLY KNOWS WHAT'S ON OUR FACES

WHEN WE'RE TIRED OF PRETENDING
AND AT LAST OUR FENCES MENDING
AND A LOVE THAT'S NEVER ENDING
LAY IT DOWN A DEAD MAN'S BURDEN

AND ALL IN COLD DESPAIR
SKYSCRAPERS SCRAPE THE AIR
IN THE LONELY HOMES WE MAKE
THE COLD WAR IS OVER
YEAH, THE COLD WAR IS DONE
THE COLD WAR IS OVER
BUT THE WOUNDS THEY LINGER ON

WHEN I WAS JUST A KID
I WANDERED OFF AND HID
IN THE QUIET CORNERS OF MY OWN
A SOLITARY THIEF
WHO BORROWED WORDS TO MAKE ME BELIEVE

AND THEN THE SKIES THEY OPENED WIDE
ALL THE BROKEN-HEARTED TRYING TO SURVIVE
BUT THE WORLD KEEPS SPINNING IT'S THE WHEEL OF LIFE
WE'RE OUT OF SYNC WE'RE OUT OF TIME
WE'RE OUT OF TOUCH WE'RE OUT OF TIME
WE'RE OUT OF SYNC WE'RE OUT OF TIME

AS WE LAY WITHIN EACH OTHER
IN THE BACKWOODS
AND THOSE WITH MATCHING MEMORIES
ARE SCRIBBLING CRYPTIC CHRONICLES

OVERLAPPED WITH FINE DISTRACTIONS
NEVER STOPPING ONCE TO CATCH OUR
BREATHS COLLECTIVE NEVER NOW
REGRET OR YEARNING BROKEN DOWN
WE ARE BUT BUBBLES ON THE SURFACE
DESTINED BUT TO DISAPPEAR
SOME TAKEN FROM US ALL TOO SOON
WE KNOW THAT LIFE IS NEVER FAIR

WE'LL ALL BE GONE
YES, WE WILL ALL BE GONE
JUST LIKE THE BUFFALO
WE KILLED THE BUFFALO

WHILE HIGH ABOVE THE DARK BLUE VAULT
WHERE FREEDOM SAYS IT'S NO ONE'S FAULT
THE TIME HAS COME I'M FINALLY CERTAIN
LAY IT DOWN A DEAD MAN'S BURDEN

NOW I'VE STARTED
DOWN A PATH THAT IS UNCHARTED
AND IT SEEMS THAT I'LL NEVER BE THE SAME

NOW I'VE STARTED
DOWN A PATH THAT IS UNCHARTED
AND IT SEEMS THAT I'LL NEVER BE THE SAME