Ballad of a Sleepwalker (short version)
Bring me the body of Osama Bin Laden
Bring me the soul of the infinite sea
Give back with interest all that’s been taken
And I’ll give to you a version of me
Bring me the brave firemen who died in the hallways
Paint me a portrait of the powers-that-be
Play me your heartstrings I’ll cherish them always
And I’ll give to you a version of me
Bring me the hubcaps of Arnold’s black hummer
Bring me the gearbox from a gold SUV
Keep in your mind’s eye the road trips of summer
And I’ll give to you a version of me
Bring me the newspaper on Saturday morning
Bring me some toast and a cup of strong tea
Oh it’s on to the wars dear, we’ve been through the warnings
And I’m wondering which is the right version of me
And I’m wondering which is the right version of me
The trouble with you is the trouble with me
Got two good eyes but we still don’t see
Can’t dream at night can’t sleep in the morning
Cause I’m busy sleepwalking
And I’m busy sleepwalking, through
history
Bring me the foreskin of Ivan the terrible
Bring me the Pentagon’s skeleton key
Bring some festoons and garlands of roses
To lay down on old glory in the land of the free
Bring me the galleons of Vasco de Gama
Bring me the laptop of Kevin Spacey
Won’t you garland the gates of the city of Baghdad
With flowers and cherries from Washington DC
Show me the peace prize of Nelson Mandela
And the torch of the Statue of Liberty
Show me the hucksters who head up the white house
And I’ll show you the tyrants of 2003
Could you forward me those emails about penis enlargement
Botox, liposuction and plastic surgery
If you can’t face the facts dear don’t look in the mirror
And I can’t wait to show you the new improved version of me
And I can’t wait to show you the new version of me
The trouble with you is the trouble with me
Got two good eyes but we still don’t see
Can’t dream at night can’t sleep in the morning
Cause I’m busy sleepwalking
And I’m busy sleepwalking, through
history
Sometimes I know I’ve got god on my side
Cause she shines a spotlight on my enemies
The rest of the world is asking the question
With which version of god do you intend to kill me
The night’s nearly gone now I’m sick of this circus
Pick up the fiddle, what tune shall it be
We’ve had jigs and reels, a few polkas, mazurkas
Let’s have an old time waltz, step 1, 2 and 3
Play an old time waltz for posterity
So gather my children we’ll have a good meal together
We’ll sing a few sad songs in close harmony
We’ll all make our heartstrings vibrate together
And we’ll share in each other’s good company
Tell all our friends to meet down by the river
On the sweet smelling banks ‘neath the weeping willow tree
We’ll cast off our clothing, our doubts and our dark fears
And the fresh water will wash us down to the sea
And the fresh water will roll us down to the sea
Kyle Alden, 2004