Greg Lake

Cat's foot iron claw
Neuro-surgeons scream for more
At paranoia's poison door.
Twenty first century schizoid man.

Blood rack barbed wire
Polititians' funeral pyre
Innocents raped with napalm fire
Twenty first century schizoid man.

Death seed blind man's greed
Poets' starving children bleed
Nothing he's got he really needs
Twenty first century schizoid man.
I TALK TO THE WIND
Said the straight man to the late man
Where have you been
I've been here and I've been there
And I've been in between.

I talk to the wind
My words are all carried away
I talk to the wind
The wind does not hear
The wind cannot hear.

I'm on the outside looking inside
What do I see
Much confusion, disillusion
All around me.

You don't possess me
Don't impress me
Just upset my mind
Can't instruct me or conduct me
Just use up my time

I talk to the wind
My words are all carried away
I talk to the wind
The wind does not hear
The wind cannot hear.

The wall on which the prophets wrote
Is cracking at the seams
Upon the instruments if death
The sunlight brightly gleams
When every man is torn apart
With nightmares and with dreams
Will no one lay the laurel wreath
when silence drowns the screams
Confusion will be my epitaph
As I crawl a cracked and broken path
If we make it
we can all sit back and laugh
But I fear tomorrow I'll be crying
Yes I fear tomorrow I'll be crying
Yes I fear tomorrow I'll be crying

Between the iron gates of fate
The seeds of time were sown
And watered by the deeds of those
Who know and who are known
Knowledge is a deadly friend
When no one sets the rules
The fate of all mankind I see
Is in the hands of fools

The wall on which the prophets wrote
Is cracking at the seams
Upon the instruments of death
The sunlight brightly gleams
When every man is torn apart
With nightmares and with dreams
Will no one lay the laurel wreath
When silence drowns the screams
Confusion will be my epitaph
As I crawl a cracked and broken path
If we make it
we can all sit back and laugh
But I fear tomorrow I'll be crying
Yes I fear tomorrow I'll be crying
Yes I fear tomorrow I'll be crying
crying
crying
Yes I fear tomorrow I'll be crying
Yes I fear tomorrow I'll be crying
Yes I fear tomorrow I'll be crying
crying

Said the straight man to the late man
Where have you been
I've been here and I've been there
And I've been in between.

I talk to the wind
My words are all carried away
I talk to the wind
The wind does not hear
The wind cannot hear.

I'm on the outside looking inside
What do I see
Much confusion, disillusion
All around me.

You don't possess me
Don't impress me
Just upset my mind
Can't instruct me or conduct me
Just use up my time

I talk to the wind
My words are all carried away
I talk to the wind
The wind does not hear
The wind cannot hear.

Call her moonchild
Dancing in the shallows of a river
Lovely moonchild
Dreaming in the shadow
of the willow
Talking to the trees of the cobweb strange
Sleeping on the steps of a fountain
Waving silver wands to the night-birds song
Waiting for the sun on the mountain
She's a moonchild
Gathering the flowers in a garden.
Lovely moonchild
Drifting on the echoes of the hours.
Sailing on the wind
in a milk white gown
Dropping circle stones on a sun dial
Playing hide and seek
with the ghosts of dawn
Waiting for a smile from a sun child.

The rusted chains of prison moons Are shattered by the sun I walk a road. horizons change The tournament s begun The purple piper plays his tune The choir softly sing Three lullabies in an ancient tongue For the court of the crimson king The keeper of the city keys Put shutters on the dreams I want outside the pilgrim s door With insufficient schemesThe black queen chants the funeral marchThe cracked brass bells will ring To summon back the fire witch To the court of the crimson king The gardener plants an evergreen Whilst tramping on a flowerI chase the wind of a prism ship To taste the sweet and sour The pattern juggler lifts his hand The orchestra begin As slowly turns the grinding wheel In the court of the crimson king On soft grey mornings windows cry The wise men share a joke I run to grasp divining signs To satify the hoax The yellow jester does not play But gently pulls the strings And smiles as the puppets dance In the court of crimson king - 

He had white horses
And ladies by the score
All dressed in satin
And waiting by the door

Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was

White lace and feathers
They made up his bed
A gold covered mattress
On which he was laid

Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was

He went to fight wars
For his country and his king
Of his honor and his glory
The people would sing

Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was

A bullet had found him
His blood ran as he cried
No money could save him
So he laid down and he died

Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was

Just a step, cried the sad man,
Take a look down at the madman.
Bearded kings on silver wings
Fly beyond reason.
From the flight of the seagull,
Come the spread claws of the eagle
Only fear breaks the silence,
As we all kneel, pray for guidance.

Tread the room, cross the abyss,
Take a look down at the madness.
On the streets of the city,
Only spectres still have pity.
Patient queues for the gallows,
Sing the praises of the hallows.
Our machines feed the furnace,
If they take us, they will burn us.

Will you still know who you are
When you come to who you are?

When the flames have their season
Will you hold to your reason?
Will you die with your chance?
Can you still keep your balance?
Can you wake from the nightmare?

Lead me from tortured dreams
Childhood themes of nights alone.
Wipe away endless years,
childhood tears as dry as stone.

From seeds of confusion,
illusions dark blossoms have grown.
Even now in furrows of sorrow
the dance still is sung.

My life's course is guided
decided by limits drawn
on charts of my past ways
and pathways since I was born.

About a little man
If I can
A gnome named Grimble Crumble
And little gnomes stay in their homes
Eating, sleeping, drinking their wine
He wore a scarlet tunic
A blue green hood
It looked quite good
He had a big adventure
Amidst the grass
Fresh air at last
Wining, dining, biding his time
And then one day
Hooray
Another way for gnomes to say
Oooooooooomray
Look at the sky
Look at the river
Isn't it good?
Look at the sky
Look at the river
Isn't it good?
Winding, finding places to go
And then one day
Hooray
Another way for gnomes to say
Oooooooooomray
Ooooooooooooooomray

About a little man
If I can
A gnome named Grimble Crumble
And little gnomes stay in their homes
Eating, sleeping, drinking their wine
He wore a scarlet tunic
A blue green hood
It looked quite good
He had a big adventure
Amidst the grass
Fresh air at last
Wining, dining, biding his time
And then one day
Hooray
Another way for gnomes to say
Oooooooooomray
Look at the sky
Look at the river
Isn't it good?
Look at the sky
Look at the river
Isn't it good?
Winding, finding places to go
And then one day
Hooray
Another way for gnomes to say
Oooooooooomray
Ooooooooooooooomray

I carry the dust of a journey
That cannot be shaken away
It lives deep within me
For I breathe it every day

You and I are yesterdays answers
The earth of the past come to flesh
Eroded by times rivers
To the shapes we now possess.

Come share of my breath and my substance
And mingle our streams and our times
In bright infinite moments
Our reasons are lost in our rhymes.

I carry the dust of a journey
That cannot be shaken away
It lives deep within me
For I breathe it everyday

You and I are yesterday's answers
The earth of the past come to flesh
Eroded by time's rivers
To the shapes we now possess

Come share of my breath and my substance
And mingle our streams and our times
In that infinite moment
All our reasons are lost in our eyes

There might have been things I missed
But don't be unkind
It don't mean I'm blind
Perhaps there's a thing or two
I think of lying in bed
I shouldn't have said
But there it is

You see, it's all clear
You were meant to be here
From the beginning

Maybe I might have changed
And not been so cruel
Not been such a fool
Whatever was done is done
I just can't recall
It doesn't matter at all

You see, it's all clear
You were meant to be here
From the beginning

Will you stand up or will you freeze
That savage woman make you please
Turn your inside outside in
Still you don't know where she has been
Living sin

Can't you see through
She's going to realize the way to sound you

Finely ground you

Sudden
Never cured by a one night lover
Sell you
Stories of a meeting with a younger brother
Twisty
All the people lyin' were just a blind cover
No one
Ever gonna pry her from a two-faced mother

Can't you see through
She's going to realize the way to sound you

If you never saw it coming
Hooked you up with coca-cola coming
Nice and slippery

Why do you stare
Do you think that i care?
You've been mislead
By the thoughts in your head

Your words waste and decay
Nothing you say
Reaches my ears anyway
You never spoke a word of truth

Why do you think
I believe what you said
Few of your words
Ever enter my head

I'm tired of liver for freaks?
With tongues in their cheeks
Turning their eyes as they speak
They make me sick and tired

Are you confused
To the point in your mind
Though you're blind
Can't you see you're wrong
Won't you refuse
To be used
Even though you may know
I can see you're wrong
Please, please, please open their eyes
Please, please, please don't give me lies

I loon? all of the earth
Witness my birth
Cried at the sight of a man
And still i don't know who i am

(chorus)

I've seen paupers as kings
Puppets on strings
Dance for the children who stare
You must have seen them everywhere

Why do you stare
Do you think that i care?
You've been mislead
By the thoughts in your head

Your words waste and decay
Nothing you say
Reaches my ears anyway
You never spoke a word of truth

Why do you think
I believe what you said
Few of your words
Ever enter my head

I'm tired of liver for freaks?
With tongues in their cheeks
Turning their eyes as they speak
They make me sick and tired

Are you confused
To the point in your mind
Though you're blind
Can't you see you're wrong
Won't you refuse
To be used
Even though you may know
I can see you're wrong
Please, please, please open their eyes
Please, please, please don't give me lies

I loon? all of the earth
Witness my birth
Cried at the sight of a man
And still i don't know who i am

(chorus)

I've seen paupers as kings
Puppets on strings
Dance for the children who stare
You must have seen them everywhere

Wicked josie rode away
In the sunset covered sky
A lynching mob had strung his friend up
Right before his eyes
He didn't know what they'd both done
He sure as hell would end up one
A hot tin notch on the sheriff's gun
If he didn't move on
Get out of here

The sheriff followed josie's journey
)from kansas in the west
He said he'd put a bullet right
Through poor old josie's chest
But josie wasn't like the rest
He don't like bullet holes in his vest
In fact he'd do his very best
Don't want any arrest
Don't want to be the guest
Of the sheriff

The nights got so damned cold
He couldn't stand the pace
He looked again for sheriff's men
But couldn't see the chase
Josie found a nice warm place
But then the sheriff solved the case
Hoped to find josie's face
And said lookie here...

Sheriff rode him into town
With josie look inside
He didn't know about the six-gun
Wicked josie had
Then josie drew his gun real fast
Gave the sheriff one big blast
And josie was a song at last
A legend from the past
Nobody ever messed with the sheriff

I've tried to mend
The love that ended
Long ago although we still pretend
Our love is surely coming to an end
Don't waste the time you've got to love again

We tried to lie
But you and i
Know better than to let each other lie
The thought of lying to you makes me cry
Counting up the time that's passed us by

I've sent this letter hoping it will reach your hand
And if it does i hope that you will understand

That i must leave in a while
And though i smile
You know the smile is only there to hide
What i'm really feeling deep inside
Just a face where i can hang my pride

Goodbye...
Goodbye...

We'll talk of places that we went
And times that we have spent
Together penniless and free

You'll see the day another way
And they could put the sunshine
For a nighttime where you lay

You're love began i don't know when
But if you do i know that
You'll be happy in the end

And did those feet in ancient time,
Walk upon england's mountains green?
And was the holy lamb of god
On england's pleasant pastures seen?

And did the countenance divine,
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was jerusalem builded here
Among these dark satanic mills?
Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear: o clouds unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!

I will not cease from mental fight;
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
Til we have built jerusalem
In england's green and pleasant land.

And did those feet in ancient time,
Walk upon england's mountains green?
And was the holy lamb of god
On england's pleasant pastures seen?

And did the countenance divine,
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was jerusalem builded here
Among these dark satanic mills?
Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear: o clouds unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!

I will not cease from mental fight;
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
Til we have built jerusalem
In england's green and pleasant land.

Do you want to be an angel,
Do you want to be a star,
Do you want to play some magic on my guitar?
Do you want to be a poet,
Do you want to be my string?
You could be anything.
Do you want to be the lover of another
Undercover? you could even be the man on the moon.

Do you want to be the player,
Do you want to be the string?
Let me just tell you something,
It just don't mean a thing.
You see it really doesn't matter
When you're buried in disguise
By the dark glass on your eyes,
Though your flesh has crystalised;
Still .... you turn me on.
Do you want to be the pillow where i lay my head,
Do you want to be the feathers lying in my bed?
Do you want to be a colour cover magazine;
Create a scene.
Every day a little sadder,
A little madder,
Someone get me a ladder.

Do you want to be the singer,
Do you want to be the song?
Let me tell you something
You just couldn't be more wrong.
You see i really have to tell you
That it all gets so intense.
)from my experience
It just doesn't seem to make sense,
Still .... you turn me on.

Do you want to be an angel,
Do you want to be a star,
Do you want to play some magic on my guitar?
Do you want to be a poet,
Do you want to be my string?
You could be anything.
Do you want to be the lover of another
Undercover? you could even be the man on the moon.

Do you want to be the player,
Do you want to be the string?
Let me just tell you something,
It just don't mean a thing.
You see it really doesn't matter
When you're buried in disguise
By the dark glass on your eyes,
Though your flesh has crystalised;
Still .... you turn me on.
Do you want to be the pillow where i lay my head,
Do you want to be the feathers lying in my bed?
Do you want to be a colour cover magazine;
Create a scene.
Every day a little sadder,
A little madder,
Someone get me a ladder.

Do you want to be the singer,
Do you want to be the song?
Let me tell you something
You just couldn't be more wrong.
You see i really have to tell you
That it all gets so intense.
)from my experience
It just doesn't seem to make sense,
Still .... you turn me on.

Brain Salad Surgery
It will murder you, it murdered me
We made it for our enemy
Brain Salad Surgery

We’ve got a ballad
About a salad brain
with a surgeon with
a dirty dinner game.

Brain Salad Surgery
It will work for you you, it works for me
Brain not perversity
Brain Salad Surgery

We’ve got a ballad
About a salad brain
with a surgeon with
a dirty dinner game.

They said there'll be snow at Christmas
They said there'll be peace on Earth
But instead it just kept on raining
A veil of tears for the VIRGIN BIRTH
I remember one Christmas morning
A winters light and a distant choir
And the peal of a bell and that Christmas Tree smell
AND EYES full of tinsel and fire

They sold me a dream of Christmas
They sold me a Silent Night
And they told me a fairy story
'Till I believed in the Israelite
And I believed in Father Christmas
And I looked to the sky with excited eyes
'Till I woke with a yawn in the first light of dawn
And I saw him and through his disguise

I wish you a hopeful Christmas
I wish you a brave New Year
All anguish pain and sadness
Leave your heart and let your road be clear
They said there'll be snow at Christmas
They said there'll be peace on Earth
Hallelujah Noel be it Heaven or Hell
The Christmas we get we deserve

I was "Master Faster", I was "Mr. Mystery"
there wasn’t a mortal man was gonna make a monkey out of me.
I had reflex, action, first strike capability
so high - so tall - so far to fall.

I took my time, my life was all without a cause
till she came bursting through the frontdoor of my heart,
just like the signs that say I’ll follow by a star,
once more, no blame, I’m far, no name .

Too much, too soon, a touch of moon
a burst balloon, so far, so far to fall.
Ooh she had me, she had me running rings around the floor.
She had me nailed to a door, she had me crying out,
she had me crying out for more, more, more, more, more, more, more.
She bad me, she tied me up in knots like a piece of a string,
she did a thing to my thing, she did a thing to my thing
like it’s never been done before.

Too much ...

I saw stars, in the night, I was hers, I was high
I had so far to fall, such a long way to fall
and I fell and I fell and I fell ------

So if you’re "Master Blaster" or you’re "Mr. Mystery"
don’t think you’re insulated from love’s electricity.
There’ll be no escape for you, there was no escape for me
so high - so tall - one night you’re bound to fall.

Bass - playing in my face - grabbin’ the elastic
Drums - listen here she comes - hammerin’ the plastic
Keys - I play ’em all with ease - Freeze! Your shakin’ at the knees
You’re doin’ somethin’ drastic - chasin’ the fantastic...
To dine with tigers in the sky
But did you ever stop to wonder why?
Man - living in a can - skippin’ with a suit-case
Frail - living in a gale - slipping on a blue face
Claws - are scratching at the doors - Pause: If you don’t lose your oars
You’re trippin’ on a shoe lace - racin’ to each new place...
To screw your shadow in the sky
But did you ever stop to wonder why?

Sun - help me when I run - bleedin’ from the moonlight
Nurse - help me with a verse - I need to sing the tune right
Days - I wasted in the maze - Raise your eyes above the ways
To keep a silver spoon bright - fly up to balloon height...
To ride the spotlight in the sky
But did you ever stop to wonder why?