Human Wheels

They are master and slave
We are sunlight and shadow
All roads to the river
I am lost. i am saved
I'm beloved and betrayed
All roads to the river

Chorus:
And the river runs wide
And the river runs deep
And i spit in the eye
Of safe company
When i dive right down
To the undertow
Well, the deeper i drown
Lord, the higher i'll go

I am whispering dreams
I am howling revolutions
All roads to the river
I am valentine sweet
And i live in this nightmare
All roads to the river

Chorus:
And the river runs wide
The river runs deep
And i spit in the eye
Of safe company
When i dive right down
To the undertow
Well, the deeper i drown
Lord, the higher i'll go

This is nothing like we planned
That's the way it's always been
All roads to the river
I have hated and i have loved
I have prayed and i have sinned
All roads to the river

Chorus:
And the river runs wide
The river runs deep
And i spit in the eye
Of safe company
When i dive right down
To the undertow
Well, the deeper i drown
Lord, the higher i'll go

I was loud and a little sad
She was visiting from atlanta, georgia
She had come to spend the summer with her dad
I thought she was very pretty
We would kiss and hold hands
Every night by the football field
Her body was tan
From the afternoons by the public swimming pool

Chorus:
Sweet evening breeze
Blows around my thoughts and memories
As i lie here today
And drink my tea
I can still see
Sweet evening breeze

I saw her in a coffee shop
In a big hotel down in austin, texas
She had cut her long hair off
And replaced it with
Blue eyes of sadness
Still acted like we were kids
And she told me that she had to marry
And she asked me if i did
Still remember

Chorus:
Sweet evening breeze
Blows around my thoughts and memories
As i lie here today
And drink my tea
I can still see
Sweet evening breeze

How redundant the future can be
These days of old are very, very
Ridiculous for me to see
When i think about the real gone stories
And how time holds the winning hand
I can tell by the lines on our faces
And the young can't understand
That they look at me
When they look at themselves

Chorus:
Oh, sweet evening breeze
Blows around my thoughts and memories
As i lie here today
And drink my tea
I can still see
Sweet evening breeze

This land today, shall draw its last breath
And take into its ancient depths
This frail reminder of its giant, dreaming self
While i, with human-hindered eyes
Unequal to the sweeping curve of life
Stand on this single print of time

Chorus:
Human wheels spin round and round
While the clock keeps the pace
Human wheels spin round and round
Help the light to my face

That time, today, no triumph gains
At this short success of age
This pale reflection of its brave and
Blundering deed
For i, descend from this vault
Now dreams beyond my earthly fault
Knowledge, sure, from the seed

Chorus:
Human wheels spin round and round
While the clock keeps the pace
Human wheels spin round and round
Help the light to my face

This land, today, my tears shall taste
And take into its dark embrace
This love, who in my beating heart endures
Assured, by every sun that burns
The dust to which this flesh shall return
It is the ancient, dreaming dust of god

Chorus:
Human wheels spin round and round
While the clock keeps the pace
Human wheels spin round and round
Help the light to my face
Human wheels spin round and round
While the clock keeps the pace
Human wheels spin round and round
Help the light to my face

Tony jones stabbed alice jones
On their first anniversary
Down in dallas, texas
In a small apartment
With nobody present
He pulled out a knife
And he stuck it to her
He left her bleeding
On the floor in the kitchen
With cake on her fingers
And her wedding ring holding
In her hand was a note
That said the wicked must suffer
And he drove off quickly
To his girlfriend's apartment
But who really suffers in the end?
It's easy enough for us to pretend that

Chorus:
Everything's all right with the family
Everything is safe here at home
Everything's all right with the family
The beds are made but there's no sheets on

From the courtroom stand
Tony said he was sorry
That he was sad and mixed up
And he didn't know what he was doing
That he'd always loved alice
And he begged for forgiveness
So he threw himself
On the mercy of the jury
And he told how his father
Had beat and abused him
Back in grade school
In the basement den
And that maybe prison
Was the best thing for him
And he said, "oh god, can you forgive me?" yeah
But who really suffers in the end?
It's easy enough for us all to pretend that

Chorus:
Everything's all right with the family
Everything is safe here at home
Everything's all right with the family
The beds are made but there's no sheets on

How many days does it take to make us weak?
And how many hours do people spend lonely?
In the heart of the heart the family lay dying
The ruin of a nation lies at our feet, yeah

Chorus:
Everything's all right with the family
Everything is safe here at home
Everything's all right with the family
The beds are made but there's no sheets on

Everything's all right with the family
Everything is safe here at home
Everything's all right with the family
The beds are made but there's no sheets on

When jesus left birmingham
All the disciples went crazy
When jesus left birmingham
All the people went completely nuts
They all busted out on a wild night
Riding high on a golden calf
When jesus left birmingham
All the people had themselves a big long laugh

Well my girl, she's a walker
And she can talk herself out of any mess
My girl, she don't pray
But somehow she seems still to be blessed
And when those crazy nights come callin'
Man, she'll dance on the tables
Like all of the rest
When my girl left birmingham
She was doing what she thought was best

It's all free on the inside
I passed a very uncomfortable feeling last night
Save us right now, we need you...
To hell with all the lies and liars
Recovery, recovery, i don't know about any recovery
Inside, gotta get inside
Inside

I see myself with a rosary
I'm in a garden and i'm talking to myself
I ain't sayin' much worth repeating
Just askin' for forgiveness and all of his best
When those crazy nights come callin'
Man, i'm just as human as i can be
When jesus left birmingham
He left it there for you and me
When jesus left birmingham
He left it there for you and me

So let it rock, let it roll
Let the bible belt come and save my soul

(repeat out.)