Mad Man Moon

(album: A Trick Of The Tail - 1976)

Was it summer when the river ran dry
Or was it just another dam
When the evil of a snowflake in June
Could still be a source of relief
O how I love you, I once cried long ago
But I was the one who decided to go
To search beyond the final crest
Though I'd heard it said just birds could dwell so high

So I pretended to have wings for my arms
And took off in the air
I flew to places which the clouds never see
Too close to the deserts of sand
Where a thousand mirages, the shepherds of lies
Forced me to land and take a disguise
I would welcome a horse's kick to send me back
If I could find a horse not made of sand

If this desert's all there'll ever be
Then tell me what becomes of me
A fall of rain?
That must have been another of your dreams
A dream of mad man moon

Hey man
I'm the sand man
And boy have I news for you
They're gonna throw you in jail
And you know they can't fail
'Cause sand is thicker than blood
But a prison in sand
Is a haven in hell
For a jail can give you a goal
Goal can find you a role
On a muddy pitch in Newcastle
Where it rains so much
You can't wait for a touch
Of sun and sand, sun and sand

Within the valley of shadowless death
They pray for thunderclouds and rain
But to the multitude who stand in the rain
Heaven is where the sun shines
The grass will be greener 'til the stems turn to brown
And thoughts will fly higher 'til the earth brings them down
Forever caught in desert lands
One has to learn to disbelieve the sea

If this desert's all there'll ever be
Then tell me what becomes of me
A fall of rain?
That must have been another of your dreams
A dream of mad man moon