R0 - Between Sun And Moon

ahh yes to yes to ahh ahh to yes
why the sun why the sun

R1 - Tom Sawyer

No his mind is not for rent
To any god or government
Always hopeful, yet discontent
He knows changes aren't permanent
But change is

R2 - A Farewell to Kings

When they turn the pages of history
When these days have passed long ago
Will they read of us with sadness
For the seeds that we let grow?
We turned our gaze
From the castles in the distance
Eyes cast down
On the path of least resistance

The hypocrites are slandering
The sacred Halls of Truth
Ancient nobles showering
Their bitterness on youth
Can't we find the minds that made us strong?
Can't we learn to feel what's right
And what's wrong?
What's wrong?

Cities full of hatred, fear and lies
Withered hearts and cruel, tormented eyes
Scheming demons dressed in kingly guise
Beating down the multitude and
Scoffing at the wise
Can't we raise our eyes and make a start?
Can't we find the minds to lead us
Closer to the heart?

January 20, 2009. Goodbye, George.

R3 - Closer To The Heart

And the men who hold high places
Must be the ones who start
To mold a new reality
Closer to the heart
The blacksmith and the artist
Reflect it in their art
They forge their creativity
Closer to the heart

Philosophers and ploughmen
Each must know his part
To sow a new mentality
Closer to the heart
You can be the captain
I will draw the chart
Sailing into destiny
Closer to the heart

R4 - Freewill

If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice.

When Permanent Waves came out, the lyrics on the album sleeve had this line printed this way:

If you choose not to decide you can't have made a choice.

I always wondered if it was intentional. Were they choosing not to make a choice between the two versions of this line, choosing NOT to decide? Was the ambiguity supposed to be part of the point? Or was it simply a misprint?

R5 - The Pass

All of us get lost in the darkness
Dreamers learn to steer by the stars

R6 - We Hold On

How many times
Do we tire of all the little battles
Threaten to call it quits
Tempted to cut and run

How many times
Do we weather out the stormy evenings
Long to slam the front door
Drive away into the setting sun

Keep going on till dawn
How many times must another line be drawn
We could be down and gone
But we hold on

This song, more than any other (along with "Light In The Black" by Rainbow) got me through those 2 awful weeks. I listened to it every night before I went to sleep, if you can call what I did out there sleep. We hold on...

R7 - The Way the Wind Blows

We can only go the way the wind blows
We can only bow to the here and now
Or be broken down blow by blow

R8 - Far Cry

Whirlwind life of faith and betrayal
Rise in anger, fall back, and repeat

One day I feel I'm ahead of the wheel
And the next it's rolling over me
I can get back on
I can get back on

R9 - Roll the Bones

We go out in the world and take our chances
Fate is just the weight of circumstances
That's the way that lady luck dances
Roll the bones

Single digits!

R10 - Show Don't Tell

You can twist perceptions
Reality won't budge
You can raise objections
I will be the judge
And the jury

R11 - Mission

Hold your fire
Keep it burning bright
Hold the flame 'til the dream ignites
A spirit with a vision is a dream
With a mission

I like the fact that it's not "hold your fire" as in - "don't shoot". But rather "hold your fire" as in "foster your creative spark".