'TWAS LONG AGO AND FAR AWAY...




The birds on the rooftops are singing
while the priestess calls the faithful to prayer
the whole of the world is tuned in tonight
to see the soul of the prophet laid bare.
The parasites stand in dark corners
where they've taken the wafer before
drinking wine from old dusty bottles
that they'd stolen last night from the store.
The broadcaster is checking his headset
as the trial in earnest begins
and the false witness sworn in with a jeer and a grin
will be tried for all of our sins.

The dogs on the street get to howling
for they sense that something is wrong
they howl to the stars, or maybe the moon
while the singer starts up a new song
he plays his guitar with a passion
which the court jester attends with a grin
he made his fortune while picking their pockets
and his belief in original sin
and the cameraman's checking the video
to make sure that he gets all his cues
but he shakes in his boots when recording the truth
before broadcasting to millions his views.

The village policeman is making his rounds
a fact no one had noticed before
and he stops to pick up just the one happy thought
from the waste piled high on the floor
then he rides off into the sunset
that place where all laws are just
where he spends his time on the treadmill
when not looking for prophets to bust.
The witnesses finish their evidence
the prosecutor is now making his case
the prophet (still in his chains) is now smiling
and accepting his fate with good grace.

The promotor is checking transcipts of the trial
before the prisoner is taken away
It took all his money to keep bribing the judge
who never did have that much to say
but he pounded his gavel while addressing the court
It's important he's seen to be fair
as the jury take his words at face value
knowing they'd soon all have some silver to share
then the prisoner is stood up and sentenced
his face bathed in moonlight so sheer
as the Angel Of Death puts his foot down for flight
saying 'let's get the hell out of here...'

And just as the birds keep on singing
and just as our bones turn to dust
I walked through that room with a sneer on my lips
still searching for someone to trust
while the townsfolk they just tolled the bell
as they had done right from the start
and the weary news and camera crew
packed up, and then depart
and the jury's still out with a vengeance
still awaiting the gibbet's collapse
and the ropes knot and tangle as the innocent dangle
and you claim it's a dream... Well, Perhaps ?