"The Former Site Of" lyrics
Oh, our land, oh, our land, it is sinking
But the country, it is rising
Either betting on us floating
Or they're counting on us dying
They say, "Leave!" They say "Leave! Leave, you madman!"
Try to talk, talk to talk, talk sense to me
But maybe he will part the waters
Like he did back with the Red Sea
So goodbye, so goodbye, all you plank roads
All you liveries, mills and derricks
Just a steeple bell for company
Houses long gone, carted off on wheels
Here on the roof of a church
So goes all of your good work
You're not too far off, my friend
To say I'm off the deep end
I am famous in the city
As a fool, as a fool on his last stand
Some call to me as they row past
Slowly, silent, I raise my glass
Left my collar and my congregation
Not a sailor, not a shepherd
Just a lighthouse in rough weather
Here on the roof of the church
So goes all of your good work
You're not too far off, my friend
To say I'm off the deep end
The rooftops, they slip
Out of sight, silent, gone
Was I a good captain
As the vessel went down?
I ask at the gate
As the trumpets all sound
Was I a good captain
As the vessel went down?
This great ship of Zion
Makes room for the next
What we lost on the ground
The sky will protect
Soon unbroken surface
Will make us secret
As a great noose of water
Closes 'round the neck
And an old woman's wave
From the deck of a ship
Says, "Hello" or "Come and help"
It is hard to tell
And a man's hypnotized
By the flowers, a prayer
He finds his own way
To talk to the dead
And a boy, mad with love
Says the Earth is not round
He would say anything
To not be alone
And the wine recalls when
It was water, and next
A flame tries to cling
To the life it has left
All of them shadows
All of them shadows
That reminded me of mine
All of them shadows
All of them shadows
That reminded me of mine
All of them shadows
All of them shadows
That reminded me of mine
All of them shadows
All of them shadows
That reminded me of mine
All of them shadows
All of them shadows
All of them shadows
That reminded me of mine
All of them shadows
All of them shadows
That reminded me of mine
But the country, it is rising
Either betting on us floating
Or they're counting on us dying
They say, "Leave!" They say "Leave! Leave, you madman!"
Try to talk, talk to talk, talk sense to me
But maybe he will part the waters
Like he did back with the Red Sea
So goodbye, so goodbye, all you plank roads
All you liveries, mills and derricks
Just a steeple bell for company
Houses long gone, carted off on wheels
Here on the roof of a church
So goes all of your good work
You're not too far off, my friend
To say I'm off the deep end
I am famous in the city
As a fool, as a fool on his last stand
Some call to me as they row past
Slowly, silent, I raise my glass
Left my collar and my congregation
Not a sailor, not a shepherd
Just a lighthouse in rough weather
Here on the roof of the church
So goes all of your good work
You're not too far off, my friend
To say I'm off the deep end
The rooftops, they slip
Out of sight, silent, gone
Was I a good captain
As the vessel went down?
I ask at the gate
As the trumpets all sound
Was I a good captain
As the vessel went down?
This great ship of Zion
Makes room for the next
What we lost on the ground
The sky will protect
Soon unbroken surface
Will make us secret
As a great noose of water
Closes 'round the neck
And an old woman's wave
From the deck of a ship
Says, "Hello" or "Come and help"
It is hard to tell
And a man's hypnotized
By the flowers, a prayer
He finds his own way
To talk to the dead
And a boy, mad with love
Says the Earth is not round
He would say anything
To not be alone
And the wine recalls when
It was water, and next
A flame tries to cling
To the life it has left
All of them shadows
All of them shadows
That reminded me of mine
All of them shadows
All of them shadows
That reminded me of mine
All of them shadows
All of them shadows
That reminded me of mine
All of them shadows
All of them shadows
That reminded me of mine
All of them shadows
All of them shadows
All of them shadows
That reminded me of mine
All of them shadows
All of them shadows
That reminded me of mine
