Kansas Album

Can I tell you something
Got to tell you one thing
If you expect the freedom
That you say is yours
Prove that you deserve it
Help us to preserve it
Or being free will just be
Words and nothing more

Every day she gets a little weaker
The beauty she once knew has come and gone
We've murdered all her sons and all her daughters
The blood is on our hands, the time has come
And now she's gonna die

We've strangled all her trees and starved her creatures
There's poison in the sea and in the air
But worst of all we've learned to live without her
We've lost the very meaning of our lives
And now she's gonna die

Once she ruled the earth with love and wisdom
But we were much too smart to live her way
With greed and lust we tried to rise above her
The ignorance of man will reach an end
And now she's gonna die

Two began together, lived as one
Each one to the other had become
More than a friend, living to meet a common end
They were true, each one knew all is well

Still the elder knew it could not last
Hidden memories from the young one's past
Drew them apart
Both knew that deep within his heart they must part
Each their own separate way

It puzzles me how we can be so close and yet worlds apart
Can it be, my memory has torn my life in two
From the very start
I screamed for the devil to let me be
I called to the heavens to set me free
Today I prayed for the answer and not one
Of the gods in the sky would rescue me

Dreams of fortune fill the young one's mind
Learn the worldly ways of hope to find
Love on the way, searching to find the light of day
In his soul he had found his own way

But to each other they soon will return
Destiny fulfilled, their words will burn an eternal flame

Virgin land of forest green, dark and stormy plains, here all life abounds
Sunlit valley, mountain fields, unseen in the rain, here all life abounds
No man rules this land, no human hand has soiled this paradise
Waiting patiently, so much to see, so rich in Earth's delights

Painted desert, sequined sky, stars that fill the night, here all life abounds
Rivers flowing to the sea, sunshine pure and bright, here all life abounds
No man rules this land, no human hand has soiled this paradise
Waiting patiently, so much to see, so rich in Earth's delights

So the maiden lies in waiting, for the sails to reach the shore
Land of beauty and abundance, innocent, you opened wide your door
Wanderers found the waiting treasure, full of gifts beyond their measure
Milk and honey for our pleasure.....

Across the sea there came a multitude, sailing ships upon the wave
Filled with visions of Utopia, and the freedom that they crave
Ravage, plunder, see no wonder, rape and kill and tear asunder
Chop the forest, plow it under.....

Highways scar the mountainsides, buildings to the sky, people all around
Houses stand in endless rows, sea to shining sea, people all around
So we rule this land, and here we stand upon our paradise,
Dreaming of a place, our weary race is ready to arise

I've got books that say the good man's golden
And more that say the bad will fall,
So many men have drowned in evil, and left Lucifer standing tall
Don't take the devil's dare, don't gamble when the game ain't fair,
Lock and bolt the doors, can't let the devil use you anymore

You got to listen all you mugs and reivers, if you do any wrong
You make it right
You can't be a make-believer, 'cause soon you're gonna pay the price,
Lying, hate and pain, all part of the devil game,
Got his foot inside the door, but you can't let him use you anymore

Take, he will take, he will take, give him nothing he'll take, he will take
He will take, he will give nothing but he'll take

Pray, for devils have no reason, Satan waits to curse your ways,
Have you seen it in his eyes in the sunset,
Have you wondered if he's laughing when you play,
Has he asked if you're alone if what he sees is all you own,
Has he offered you happiness, money, or much better lays
Satan leave me, leave me lonely, leave us alone

I've got books that say the good man's golden
And more that say the bad will fall,
Take a look at what the future's holdin',
Won't be yours if you don't heed this call,
Life is a game, and the stakes will remain the same.
Now you've gotta choose, is the devil gonna win or lose again

Run a silent path to nowhere, everything is all
You could have a pleasant life if Summer had no Fall
Treat yourself so gently though the task is often hard
Man is not a God it seems, who holds the final card
Close your eyes and feel the darkness, speak and hear the sound,
We only catch a glimpse of all the life that is around,
The man is not alive who knows the value of his soul,
And when our lives are pulled away, there's more to fill the hole

I wonder what you'd think if all the changes didn't come,
For growing old is only going back to where you're from

Far beyond our senseless thoughts there lies a core of gold
Where essence of the newborn child is waiting in the old,
The Master Plan is well conceived, it's there for all to see
And each day that is spent in thought is living harmony
Reach into the depths of being, pass beyond the years,
Time is lost in stillness, where there are no hopes and fears,
Linger in the void, and like a beacon in the night
Purity will fill your soul with ever-present light

Everything you've seen is waiting patiently within
For growing old is only going back to where you've been

Sweet child of innocence
Living in the present tense
Father Time will take his toll
Rack your body and steal your soul
What became of all the years
Are you drowning in your tears
Who will catch you when you fall
Who will hear you when you call

I will comfort you, take your hand and see you through
I will take you through the door

Who do you think you are
Try to live forever and you won't get far
I wait behind your door
Makes no difference if you're rich or poor
Though you're weary and afraid
Still you try to flee my blade
Come and walk in my new land
If you'll only take my hand

In the image of those who have walked before me here
I am cast in the web of an ancient spell
I am holding on to life, I'm drifting in the stream
Everything's much clearer now
We live within a dream and never wake

Judge not by what you see
More than you can count are here with me
Give up your foolish pride
All that walk the earth have died!

Early in the morning sunlight
Soaring on the wings of dawn
Here I'll live and die with my wings in the sky
And I won't come down no more

Higher than a bird I'm flying
Crimson skies of ice and fire
Borne on wings of steel I have so much to feel
And I won't come down no more

Sail on, sail on, I will rise each day to meet the dawn
So high, so high
I've climbed the mountains of the sky
Without my wings you know I'd surely die
I found my freedom flyin' high
I've climbed the mountains of the sky

Floating on the clouds of amber
Searching for the rainbow's end
Earth so far below me,
I'm here alone, free
I can't come down no more

Well I'm trying to tell you about a thing I thought I saw
It came to me in a dream one night
When a voice began to call
I heard my name being summoned as I looked around to see
A hooded judge and jury
There was no mercy there for me
Well I can't make it, I just can't figure it out
This dream is drivin' me crazy
I gotta know what it's all about
The mark is upon me, and the mark of Cain brings fear

A cold wind's blowin' right down my back
I'm runnin, I'm runnin' from a figure that's dressed in black
I think my legs are made out of lead
Cause I'm runnin' but I'm going nowhere
The bad dream is coming closer and closer
I got a feelin' he'll always be there
Forever is a long time to spend in agony
And the demons of confusion have got a place for me
The mark is upon me, and the mark of Cain brings fear

I was tired, so tired of runnin'
I had to turn and look around
I saw eyes that looked right through me
And a voice that made no sound
My body froze and I stood and stared, unearthly face before me
From the depths of a hooded nightmare, I saw what could not be
Mysteries and mayhem from the pinnacle I see
There's no answer when there's no question
The mark of Cain bears hard on me

I've so much to say, and yet I cannot speak
Come and do my bidding now for I have grown too weak
My weary eyes have seen all that life can give
Come to me, O young one, for you I can forgive

I stood where no man goes, and conquered demon foes
With glory and passion no longer in fashion
The hero breaks his blade

Cast this shadow long that I may hide my face
And in this cloak of darkness the world I will embrace
In all that I endure, of one thing I am sure
Knowledge and reason change like the season
A jester's promenade

Lying at my feet I see the offering you bring
The mark of Cain is on our faces, borne of suffering
O, I long to hear you say it's not been wrong
I stand before you now, a riddle in my song
The answer is that sweet refrain
Unheard it always will remain
Beyond our reach, beyond our gain

Trapped in life's parade, a king without a crown
In this joy of madness, my smile might seem a frown
With talons wrought of steel, I tore the heart of doom
And in one gleaming moment I saw beyond the tomb
I stood where no man goes, above the din I rose
Life is amusing though we are losing
Drowned in tears of awe.

Carry on my wayward son
There'll be peace when you are done
Lay your weary head to rest
Don't you cry no more

Ahhhh

Once I rose above the noise and confusion
Just to get a glimpse beyond this illusion
I was soaring ever higher
But I flew too high

Though my eyes could see, I still was a blind man
Though my mind could think, I still was a mad man
I hear the voices when I'm dreaming
I can hear them say

Carry on, my wayward son
There'll be peace when you are done
Lay your weary head to rest
Don't you cry no more

Masquerading as a man with a reason
My charade is the event of the season
And if I claim to be a wise man, well
It surely means that I don't know

On a stormy sea of moving emotion
Tossed about, I'm like a ship on the ocean
I set a course for winds of fortune
But I hear the voices say

Carry on, my wayward son
There'll be peace when you are done
Lay your weary head to rest
Don't you cry no more
Oh!

Carry on, you will always remember
Carry on, none can equal the splendor
Now your life's no longer empty
Surely heaven waits for you

Carry on, my wayward son
There'll be peace when you are done
Lay your weary head to rest
Don't you cry (Don't you cry no more)

No more

I'm woven in a fantasy, I can't believe the things I see
The path that I have chosen now has led me to a wall
And with each passing day I feel a little more like something dear was lost
It rises now before me, a dark and silent barrier between,
All I am, and all that I would ever want to be
It's just a travesty, towering, marking off the boundaries my spirit would erase

To pass beyond is what I seek, I fear that I may be too weak
And those are few who've seen it through to glimpse the other side,
The promised land is waiting like a maiden that is soon to be a bride
The moment is a masterpiece, the weight of indecision's in the air
It's standing there, the symbol and the sum of all that's me
It's just a travesty, towering, blocking out the light and blinding me
I want to see

Gold and diamonds cast a spell, it's not for me I know it well
The riches that I seek are waiting on the other side
There's more that I can measure in the treasure of the love that I can find
And though it's always been with me, I must tear down the Wall and let it be
All I am, and all that I was ever meant to be, in harmony
Shining true and smiling back at all who wait to cross
There is no loss

Well you told me that I was just not the one,
And you left me standing out in the cold
It's been a long time and I'm so much better now
That I'm looking back and seeing it all
And for the first time there's no pain in my life
Been a long hard road that I've gone
We had a good thing and it made me a man and I know

You got me goin', yeah, pardon me my feelings are showing
I'm only saying what's on my mind

Well I found you or maybe I found myself
And I think we knew it all of the time
We fit together just like a lock and a key
And we opened up each other's minds
Yeah, I was laughing 'cause there was no room to cry
There was too much growing to do
We had a good time and it ain't over yet 'cause I know

You got me goin', will you pardon me my feelings are showing
I'm only saying

You came from nowhere and you just jumped in my life,
And I know it never will be the same
You made me love you, now I'm home once again
No, I never want to leave you no more
'Cause I'm attached to the better half of myself
And there's nowhere else that I'd rather be
You filled an empty, you fixed a bad broken heart, yes I know

You got me goin',yeah, pardon me my feelings are showing
I'm only saying what's on my mind

There's a reason for all that rhymes, it's the fact and the way of the times
Moving emotion, it's high and it's low, no matter where you go
There is something for all who look, there's a story in every book
All of the pages, between all the lines, so much that you can find

But there's too many empty lives my friend
And we just can't let them waste away
For this life is a precious thing my friend
And we can't wait another day

There's a message in every word, and it's more than the word you heard
Moving emotion, it comes like a sea, washing all over me

But there's nothing that we can't do my friend, cause the spirit is with us all
It's here and it's now, it's up and it's down
You can feel it surrounding us all.

After all its all the same, only difference is the name and where we are
In this crazy mixed up deal, there's so many things to feel
Near and far it's where you are

And there's times when I can't contain all the feelings of love I'll gain
There for the asking, it's for all of you if you would take it too

But there's too many empty lives my friend
And we just can't let them waste away
For this life is a precious thing my friend
And we can't wait another day

Instrumental:
a. Father Padilla Meets the Perfect Gnat
b. Howling at the Moon
c. Man Overboard
d. Industry on Parade
e. Release the Beavers
f. Gnat Attack

This foolish game, oh it's still the same
The notes go flyin' off in the air
And don't you believe it's true, the music is all for you
It's really all we've got to share
Cause Rockin' and Rollin', it's only howlin' at the Moon.
It's only howlin' at the Moon.

I heard the men saying something
The captains tell they pay you well
And they say they need sailing men to
Show the way, and leave today
Was it you that said, "How long, how long?"

They say the sea turns so dark that
You know it's time, you see the sign
They say the point demons guard is
An ocean grave, for all the brave,
Was it you that said, "How long, how long,
How long to the point of know return?"

Your father, he said he needs you
Your mother, she says she loves you
Your brothers, they echo your words:
"How far to the point of know return, to the point of know return"
"Oh Oh, how long, how long?"

Today I found a message floating
In the sea from you to me
It wrote that when you could see it
You cried with fear, the Point was near
Was it you that said, "How long, how long, how long
To the Point of Know Return?"

How Long? How Long to the point of no return?"
No Return

How Long?
(Repeat and Fade)

He had a thousand ideas
You might have heard his name
He lived alone with his vision
Not looking for fortune or fame
Never said too much to speak of
He was off on another plane
The words that he said were a mystery
Nobody's sure he was sane
But he knew, he knew more than me or you
No one could see his view
Oh, where was he going to
He was in search of an answer
The nature of what we are
He was trying to do it a new way
He was bright as a star
But nobody understood him
"His numbers are not the way"
He's lost in the deepest enigma
Which no one's unravelled today
But he knew, he knew more than me or you
No one could see his view
Oh, where was he going to
And he tried
But before he could tell us he died
When he left us the people cried
Oh, where was he going to?
He had a different idea
A glimpse of the master plan
He could see into the future
A true visionary man
But there's something he never told us
It died when he went away
If only he could have been with us
No telling what he might say
But he knew, he knew more than me or you
No one could see his view
Oh, where was he going to
But he knew
You could tell by the picture he drew
It was totally something new
Oh, where was he going to

I close my eyes
Only for a moment and the moment's gone
All my dreams
Pass before my eyes, a curiosity
Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind

Same old song
Just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do
Crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see
Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind
Oh

Now, don't hang on
Nothing lasts forever but the Earth and sky
It slips away
And all your money won't another minute buy
Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind (All we are is dust in the wind)
Dust in the wind (Everything is dust in the wind)
Everything is dust in the wind
The wind

Once carried through the current
And being swept away
The king is in the closet
He's hiding from today
And though he owns all fortunes
This room is where he'll stay
And his world is filled with darkness, turning grey

Gazing out the window
Of the 42nd second floor
He is separate from all others
No one knocks upon his door
And it might as well be raining 'cause the sunlight hurts his eyes
And his ears will never hear the children's cries

Once proud and full of passion
He fought the cause of man
Many people loved his courage
Many followed his command
He changed the old into the new
And the course of things to come
And then one day they noticed he was gone

At first it didn't matter
Nobody seemed to care
They all became too busy
To find him anywhere
So no one knew not even him
The problems he would find
On the day he journeyed deep into his mind

I close my eyes I go far away
Away from this battlefield
In my dreams well here I will enjoy it
Where innocence plays with all the laughing children
The kind who are crying right now
A taste of freedom from the pain
Of everything here I see
Life is sweet but I took it all for granted
And now I don't know if I could even tell you
Just what we permit, we allow

Allow me to forget the life I've made my own
I've held this nation in my hand
And yet it's not my home
Allow me just one answer just one reason why
Why this refugee of the family of man must die
Tell me why

Daydreams filled his nighttimes
And night dreams filled his days
Confusion and uncertainty
A puzzled mind of haze
You thought he was so powerful
And set upon his ways
Well he left us all to travel through this maze

I heard the king was dying
I heard the king was dead
And with him died the chronicles
That no one ever read
The closet's fully empty now
It's occupied by none
I'll draw the drapes now destiny is done

There are some who can still remember
All the things that we used to do
But the days of our youth were numbered
And the ones who survive it are few
Oh, I can still see the smiling faces
When the times were so good
All in the old familiar places
I'd go back if I could (to the)

People of the south wind, people of the southern wind
It's the people of the wind, I got to be there again

Well, it's a hard thing to face the music:
But it's something everybody has got to do
So I hope that I can always remember
All the crazy times we had to go through
Now it's a dream that is slowly fading
And I don't want it to go
All of the memories are evading
And I want you to know (it's the)

People of the south wind, people of the southern wind
It's the people of the wind, I got to be there again

Now we've traveled all across the oceans
And we've seen what there is to see
But I guess it's not the proper solution
Cause it's all about the same to me
Now I look back and it makes me wonder
Why we just couldn't see
All of the battles we fought and won there
And I wish that I could be with the

People of the wind
I want to see 'em again
It's where we used to be free
And that's the place for me
It's just a state of my mind
A thing that's so hard to find

The empty page before me now, the pen is in my hand
The words don't come so easy but I'm trying
I'm searching for a melody or some forgotten line
They can slip away from us so quickly
Don't be unkind I'm not complaining
I only feel it needs explaining

(Chorus)
Though I've said it all before I'll say it once again (one more time)
Everyone needs something to believe in

So turn around, turn around it's on the other side
Feel the sound, feel the sound, it's coming from deep inside
It will fill you with emotion, if you let it be your guide so
Turn around; turn around, it's on the other side

I'm waiting for the day to end another to begin
Somehow I've forgotten what it stood for
I look into your face and see the searching in your eyes
I will he your servant till the end
The music plays, and for a moment I feel
That all there days an so fulfilling

(Chorus)

Desperation shows its ugly face in many ways
No one can escape the times we live in
The answers are so simple and we all know where to look
But it's easier to just avoid the question
And if I seem too inconclusive
It's just because it's so elusive

(Chorus)

When I was very young so many songs were sung
So much wasted time on an uphill climb
But you where always there, a feeling in the air
There was nothing to fear you were so near
Now you are here once again
As I stand in your presence
I can feel the quiet patience of your gaze
Like an old superstition
You are haunting all my dreams and waking days

(Chorus)
All my life I knew you were waiting, revelation anticipating
All is well, the search is over, let the truth be known
Let it be shown (give me a glimpse of home)

There's no resisting you among the chosen few
It's hard to be sure, it's hard to endure
And when I hear your voice
I know I have the choice
To pursue an ideal, something so real
Now I've got nothing to lose
As I see your reflection
All the answers I desire become so clear
Like a page that is turning
I can look into the future without fear

You're in my rock and roll, you're in my very soul
Though it's heavy to bear, it's a feeling so rare
And it's a mystery, the way it's meant to be
Can we ever know, we're moving so slow
There ain't enough time in the world
As I reach up the ladder
There is something ever higher to perceive
Like a fire that is burning
In my heart I know I surely must believe

In the time we spent together
Many words have passed between
And the feelings that we shared are all behind us now
'Cause a change has come upon me
And I'm surely not the same
There is so much more than what we feel and live every day

(Chorus)
Relentless, unchanging
Though the world is still before me now
I'm seeing forever
I will keep my heart and mind with you
So joyously I'm waiting for the day

In a single timeless moment
When the old was cast away
The new was born into a world of simple joy
And my life is still for living
Though it's seen through different eyes
And the knowledge of the truth's
A burden easy to bear

(Bridge)

It's drawing so near
It's shrouded in mystery
Histories fall, the end of an age
The feeling we're waiting for, hoping for
Now, the time to come alive
The end to which we strive
Will soon arrive

Now the gift is truly given
If you only would receive
For you're standing in the crossroads
And you can't turn back
Though we can't conceive forever
And it's sometimes hard to care
Our lives do not compare to what's awaiting us there

I remember when I saw your face I said out loud she's out of place
She's summer's child and still she feels no freedom
Your hair was long and so was mine when we were young I felt a kind of magic
Did you feel that for me

(Chorus)
I thought that you would understand you thought that I was in your hand
Now's the time when I can't stay not even you can change the way
I'm a loner

I remember when I saw your eyes I said out loud I realize
That beauty often hides a heart that's hardened
You tell me now you use them all they love it best before they fall
Collected like a flower in your garden

(Chorus)

Look in the mirror and tell me
Just what you see
What have the years of your life
Taught you to be
Innocence dyin' in so many ways
Things that you dream of are lost
Lost in the haze
Hold on, baby, hold on
'Cause it's closer than you think
And you're standing on the brink
Hold on, baby, hold on
'Cause there's something on the way
Your tomorrow's not the same as today
Don't you recall what you felt
When you weren't alone
Someone who stood by your side
A face you have known
Where do you run when it's too much to bear
Who do you turn to in need
When nobody's there
Outside your door He is waiting
Waiting for you
Sooner or later you know
He's got to get through
No hesitation and no holding back
Let it all go and you'll know
You're on the right track
Hold on, baby, hold on
'Cause it's closer than you think
And you're standing on the brink
Hold on, baby, hold on
'Cause there's something on the way
Your tomorrow's not the same as today

See the words appear on the wall
There for every man who's standing tall
This water's pure, the well is so deep
The only treasure that a man can keep

Miles to go, and I feel the weight
Of these chains that I create
As I climb to the top of the hill
It draws me still
And I can't look back

(Chorus)
The heart keeps on burning
Oh, wheels, wheels, don't slow down
My soul keeps on yearning
Oh, wheels, wheels, roll me homeward bound

I'm looking through the eyes of a child
Like the innocent and unbeguiled
From the east, and far to the west
Soldiers conquer in a royal quest

One by one, as the seasons change
I press on in a world so strange
As I climb to the top of the hill
It draws me still
And I won't look back

(Chorus)

We are marching in time
To the reason and rhyme
As the glory of youth starts to fade
There's no burden to bear
For a debt that is already paid

(Chorus)