Civilization

I'm up above the city
And I'm down beneath the stars
I must have broke the heart strings
Of a thousand bass guitars
I've wandered through a wasteland
That was passing for a glimpse of Heaven's door

And I must have met a millionfold
Of humans in disguise
And now they aim a loaded pistol
Right between the eyes
And I count the cost of freedom
And I realize that Heaven is no more

Bring me
Civilization
Trample on the ones
Who would destroy the very nation
That turned me into what I am
An effigy of the beautiful and damned
I'll show
No hesitation
To bring before a darkened world
The sweetest revelation
Skip a hundred light years
As I hurry home to meet my baby's needs

I'm not a monk
I live in the city
Today I strolled into the town
Everyone's so pretty
But then shots rang out and I hit the ground
Before they came and took my piece away

They beat me and I said enough
Okay, I'll do the time
It's easy and it's obvious
What's yours just isn't mine
Now I sit in Wonderland still wondering
How I got here all the same

Bring me
Civilization
To take away the pain and hurt
And anger and frustration
That falls like rubber nipples from the trees
Where once I danced upon the leaves
I'll show
No remonstration
Whatever you decide my fate to be
No indignation
As long as I can beat the rush
And make it home to meet my baby's needs

What is a man
If he ain't got a soul
I'm doing all I can
Yeah, to make this house a home

But I'm up above the city
And I'm down beneath the stars
My lawyer says there's no parole
Behind these prison bars
The days they pass so slowly
That I killed a man who wanted me to die

A single pack of cigarettes
Is all you need to breathe
You get so goddamned used to it
You'll find it hard to leave
Blood in, blood out, stick with the gang
And you'll serve your -?- time with ease

Bring me
Civilization
'Cause now I am the one
Who could destroy the very nation
That turned me into what I am
An effigy of the beautiful and damned
(And they say that)
I'll show
No hesitation
To make the world a darker place
Without a reservation
When all I simply tried to do
Was hurry home to meet my baby's needs