Liar's Nightmare

(album: Songs For Survivors - 2002)

I have always been here
And I'll always be there
I can honestly tell you
That I really don't care

If all the babies are broken
And the old folks are blind
There's a hole in my heart
But I know you don't mind

If I laugh at the cripples
And I cry for the clowns
And I welcome the madness
That I see coming down

And I have no opinions
So I feel no remorse
I can see the Black Knight
Riding up on his horse

And there's fire in his nostrils
And blood in his eyes
And he's looking at you, kid
As he races on by

So watch out for his hooves
They're gonna kill you for sure
He's got some kind of sickness
That no man can cure

And his breath it will burn you
And put out your eyes
He'll tear out your tongues
So you can't even cry

That your body is broken
And your spirit is dead
And you hope against hope
That it's a bad dream you had

About a meeting with Elvis
At the back of the store
You're both shoveling plasticware
Right out of the door

And the men who control you
Keep yelling for more, more, more, more
You pay all your taxes
But you don't know what for

'Cause nothing seems to get better
Things seem to get worse
We're all living in danger
From a politician's curse

All promises have been broken
All lips have been read
Well the mouth has spoken
But nothing's been said

The dream has been shattered
The flags have been burned
You better make up your minds
From whatever you've learned

About your family values
And the way they've been scorned
Some babies have been battered
Way before they've been born

Some call me a liar
Some call me a thief
But the way that I look at things
I can't get no relief

So I went to a meeting
Spoke out of fear
They said, "Thank you for sharing,
Now why are you here?"

I said: everything's shaking
Including myself
I keep all my feelings
High up on a shelf

And I can't seem to reach them
But I know they were there
I'm trapped in this vacuum
And I'm gasping for air

Some people get better
Some people just fold.
Some people rise above it
Or so I've been told

So I started to leave,
I was searching for more
They caught ahold of my sleeve
But I slipped through the door

I ran back to the office
With my back to the wall
When I came to my senses
I had no one to call

So I called up the doctor
He told me to lie
He said, "Get out of this nightmare
Or you surely will die?

So I forced myself to wake up
And opened my eyes
But the man in the mirror
Was there in disguise

He was playing his part,
Living in a trance
Sentenced to be a witness
'Cause he had no defense

The anesthetic is wearing thin
And you're starting to sweat
And you finally realize
That it ain't over yet

'Cause the way you've been feeling
They must have hit a nerve
I know it's not what you want
But it's what you deserve

The operation is over
Listen to me please
I'm begging forgiveness
Down on my knees

Coming back to consciousness
I was out of my head
Well the dream is over
And I'm back in my bed

I've always been here
And I'll always be there
I can honestly tell you
That I really do care

I gotta tell you the truth
About the sadness I find
I have opened my heart to you,
And I hope you don't mind.