I have never taken life,
yet I have often paid the price
and you, you are a victim of this age
and the guilt that hangs around your neck
has got me locked up in a cage

you've got to learn to live until no end
but first you must learn to swim
all over again
because...

pain lies on the riverside
and pain will never say goodbye
pain lies on the riverside
and put your feet in the water
put your head in the water
put your soul in the water
and join me for a swim tonight

I have forever, always tried
to stay clean and constantly baptized
I am aware that the river's banks, they are dry
and to wait for a flood
is to wait for life

I've got to learn to live until no end
but first I must learn to swim all
over again.
because...

pain lies on the riverside

heard alot of talk about the ocean
heard alot of talk about the sea
heard alot of talk about alot of things
never meant that much to me

heard alot of talk about my spirit
heard alot of talk about my soul
but I decided that anxiety and pain
were better friends
so I let it go

did you let it go?
let's get it back,
let's get it back together,

heard alot of talk about this Jesus
a man of love, a man of strength
but what a man was two thousand years ago
means nothing at all to me today

he could have been telling me about my higher self
but he only lives inside my prayer
so what he was may have been beautiful
but the pain is right now and right here

let it go!
let it go!
let it go, my friend
and let's get it back
let's get it back together

if I told you he was your brother
we could reminisce
then you would go about your day
if I said you ought to give him
some of your water
you'd shake your canteen and walk away

the perception that divides you from him
is a lie
for some reason you never asked why
this is not a black and white world
you can't afford to believe in your side

this is not a black and white world
to be alive
I say the colors must swirl
and I believe
that maybe today
we will all get to appreciate

the beauty of gray

if I told you that she was your mother
we could analyze the situation and be gone
if I said you ought to give her
some of your water
your eyes would light up like the dawn

the perception that divides you from her
is a lie
for some reason you never asked why
this is not a black and white world
you can't afford to believe in your side

this is not a black and white world
to be alive
I say the colors must swirl
and I believe
that maybe today
we will all get to appreciate

the beauty of gray

look into your eyes
no daylight
new day now

so many people
I know only a few
yes I may say that I love this man
and that man
but what keeps me from loving you?

date of birth, geography
the color of my skin, ideology
you've got ten fingers, two legs, one nose
like me
just like me

and it's as simple as that
you see

and if I don't know who to love
I love them all
and if I don't know who to trust
I trust them all
and if I don't know who to kill
I may kill myself instead

from the mouth of a baby
will come the world saving words
that will save us all
and from the lungs of a child
will come the everlasting breath of God

increasing peace and honesty
and not carrying on despite of me
don't you know
this ain't about no race, no creed
no race, no creed

and it's as simple as that
you see

and if I don't know who to love
I love them all
and if I don't know who to trust
I trust them all
and if I don't know who to kill
no suicide
I'm already dead

you say, "hold on to the reigns"
I say, "let them go tonight"
my brain waves
confused between what is and ain't
she cries, "groundless and free"

tired of the water
tired of the wine
tired of the future
tired of time
tired of the madness
tired of the steel
tired of the violence
tired of me

used steel
used steel am I
what was pliable in love
is now hard and crystallized
the intellect is fine
for counting money
and recalling times
that she cried,
"groundless and free"

hope is a letter that never arrives
delivered by the postman of my fear

I know that I should think about giving
and think about
helping out
and think about
think about living
but I can't seem to rescue myself

what about my bank account
and my holy desert shield
that keep me dry under the arms?
flags and mental jewelry's all I know
and they keep me happy and warm inside

so I said unto this man
"who are you and where do you come from?"
and he proceeded to tell me many
many, many, many, many, many, many things

but I said nothing at all

for the flower in the corner, by the room,
in the window, and the sun
said it all

at least they said they would
said they could
mama said they would
do me good

what do you say to the child
whose God is in the TV?
and what do you say to the man
who blames the world on TV?

they don't even know how to sing my song
but they won't even try it
with me, with me, with me

who is standing over playing like
the teacher
harnessing the learned
who try but can't leave her
I want to beg the liars to lay down
their sirens
that play like the angels
to my deep desire

free my son
let him walk right through the rain
free my son
make him waterboy
free my son
there he stands down on the shore
free my son

what do you say to the man
who treats her like a mother?
and what do you say to the man
who treats him like a father?

"come and see my heart, come inside
and learn"?
"come and see my soul, it's like yours,
I say it's just like yours"?

who is making over
idolizing princes
banishing the dreamers with
barbed-wire fences
and telling all the children who run to
her feet
that they have no vision
and love's all diseased

free my son

war in me
war overseas
there ain't no difference between

blood in me
blood overseas
there ain't no difference between

the chills in your spine are oh, so sweet
people honor you so high
you've got to defend the stage at your feet
no!

take, take, take my anthem today

hands on me
hands overseas
there ain't no difference between

heart in me
heart overseas
there ain't no difference between

if you've ever known love
if you've ever known peace
if you've ever known joy
make sure that you are on time

if you've ever known war
if you've ever known pain
if you've ever said no
make sure that you are on time
you are on time
you are on time
we are on time

for you are the world

fighting, mating, warring
you are all this now
be aware, not scared
look at me now
silence
I say
you are the world

he said, he said, he said,
"there was nothing to fear, boy"
and he said, he said, he said,
"worthless are your tears boy"

"just realize your senses
and realize your earth
just realize your essence first"

well, don't you know, now I
I'll never be the same again
I want to walk in the sun
I am alive and well again
no more bittersweet
no more good pain
no more

so many of us stand in the middle
looking back to the worst
looking forward to the fall
making weapons of peace for the defense
of the bloodstains on our peaceful sidewalks

you say the buildings got too tall
and they're going to fry your brother
well, I say you'd better walk away, walk away, walk away,
and find your mother

no more bittersweet
no more good pain

If I can't sing this song
and tell you all about it
then I'll just pack it up right now and walk away
don't even doubt it

so when our sherry glass is full
and the day is way too young
you'd better sip today, sip today, sip today
before it's gone

no more bittersweet
no more good pain

pollution, cain, and misery
oceans of golden mystery
armies boisterous and armies loud
portraits of a vicious crowd

talk to me, talk to me now
hey man, you're all that I have

me, myself, myself and I
were born to work and born to die
I have chosen my anthems
of these I am proud
portraits of a divided crowd

talk to me, talk to me now

the world is burning down
can't you smell the smoke in the air?
war, disease, and famine
this demon, she's everywhere

poets and preachers and politicians
they've all had their say
and we got 10,000 years
devoted to nothing
but tomorrow and yesterday

if all of the ignorance in the world
passed a second ago
what would you say?
and who would you obey?
I am here to say that

peace is now

mr. President
I hereby pardon you all your crimes
for they are just as much mine

selfishness and separation have led me
to believe that the world is not my problem
the world is not my problem
I am the world
and you are the world
and I, yes I am the world
and you are the world

if all of the ignorance in the world
passed a second ago
what would you say?
and who would you obey?
I am here to say that

peace is now