gods and demons seem to have your mind
corrupt old men sell you poisoned wine
hypocrisy underlies the lies you live as truth
you don't know what to do with your youth

well let me tell you something I learned
at least a thousand years ago
no one's gonna come to see your show

unless you've got it together
you better let it go
or you will be the only one you know

you have something magic in your hands
but giving it to wishy washy bands
listen children, whatever is planned
we all end up under the promised land

rocks are rolling all around your head
before you wake up you might be dead
open up your wasted eyes and dare to see the truth
you are only as strong as your youth

and let me tell you something I heard
before the beginning of time
no one's gonna ever hear your rhyme

unless you shout it together
you repeat the crime
of every generation, even mine

they said
hippies believed in sharing the land
sharing the love, lending a hand
listen children I don't understand
how did the dream turn to sand?

they said
Jesus and Bhudda and all of the rest
said the same thing and we all were impressed
what we've become we would never have guessed
we would be - was it all just a test?
in the end all we seemed to do
was make a big mess

wail your guitar
for anyone listening
maybe they will hear, maybe we will hear
beat on your drum
stomp on the floor, blow out the roof
scream at the top of your lungs

give it your all
for anyone listening
maybe they will hear, maybe we will hear
heaven, hell, or Washington
pray for all you're worth
to whatever you might become
idle plastic smiles blind deaf and dumb
cut in, sold out, oh - and comfortably numb

oh... oh...

pray for all you're worth
that this is not what you become
idle plastic smiles blind deaf and dumb
cut in, sold out, god - damned comfortably numb

oh...

I want to believe we have not failed
even if our hearts and minds have been jailed
even if our spirits were broken or sold
I don't want to believe we've grown old

and let me tell you something we knew
before we could form the words
there is only one true bottom line

we've got to do it together
or we repeat the crime
it's every generation's old lang syne

it's only all of our lives
that are on the line

we have something magic in our hands
don't let it slip through like grains of sand
listen children, whatever is planned
here and now, this is your promised land

rocks are rolling all around our heads
before we wake up we might be dead
open up our wasted eyes and dare to see the truth
we are only as strong as our youth

wail...