It was also immortalized by Johnny Cash -- he covered the song in 2002, a year before the death of his wife June Carter, four months after which Johnny himself finally let go. A lot of people consider it his epitaph.
Hush now don't you cry
Wipe away the teardrop from your eye
You're lying safe in bed
It was all a bad dream
Spinning in your head
Your mind tricked you to feel the pain
Of someone close to you leaving the game
Of life
So here it is, another chance
Wide awake, you face the day
Your dream is over...
Or has it just begun?
There's a place I like to hide
A doorway that I run through in the night
Relax child, you were there
But only didn't realize
And you were scared
It's a place where you will learn
To face your fears, retrace the years
And ride the whims of your mind
Commanding in another world
Suddenly, you'll hear and see
This magic new dimension
I
Will be watching over you
I
am gonna help you see it through
I
Will protect you in the night
I am smiling next to you
In silent lucidity...
(Solo) 2:55-3:22
Spoken: 3:19-3:52
Visualize your dream (Yes)
Record it in the present tense (Don't be scared)
Put it into a permanent form
If you persist in your efforts
You can achieve a dream come true
(Control)
(How're you doing today?) (Better?)
Dream control
Dream control
Dream control
Hug me...
If you open your mind for me
You won't rely on open eyes to see
The walls you built within
Come tumbling down
And a new world will begin
Living twice at once you learn
You're safe from pain in the dream domain
A soul set free to fly
A round trip journey in your head
Master of illusion, can you realize?
Your dream's alive, you can be the guide but...
I
Will be watching over you
I am gonna help you see it through
I
Will protect you in the night
I am smiling next to you...
Bud said:I love strings - real or synthetic doesn't matter. This particular song has a bit of a build up between 2:55-3:22 and specifically from 3:23-3:52 that I adore. I have yet to discover how many times I can listen to the same song and still get goosebumps. Every. Single. Time.
You're such an inspiration
For the ways that I will
Never, ever choose to be
Oh so many ways for me to show you
How your savior has abandoned you
F*** your God, your Lord, your Christ
He did this, took all you had and
Left you this way, still you pray, never stray, never
Taste of the fruit, never thought to question "Why?"
It's not like you killed someone
It's not like you drove a hateful spear into his side
Praise the one who left you broken down and paralyzed
He did it all for you...
Oh so many ways for me to show you
How your dogma has abandoned you
Pray to your Christ, to your God
Never taste of the fruit, never stray, never break, never
Choke on a lie even though he's the one who
Did this to you, you never thought to question "Why?"
It's not like you killed someone
It's not like you drove a spiteful spear into his side
Talk to Jesus Christ as if he knows the reasons why
He did it all for you...
You...
You believed ...
You believed in movements none could see.
You believed in me
A passionate spirit
Uncompromised
Boundless and open
A light in your eyes
Then immobilized.
Broken
Fell at the hands of those movements that I wouldn't see
Yet it was you who prayed for me.
So what have I done
To be a son to an angel?
What have I done
To be worthy?
Daylight dims leaving cold fluorescence
Difficult to see you in this light
Please forgive this selfish question, but
What am I to say to all these ghouls tonight?
"She never told a lie,
... well might have told a lie,
But never lived one.
Didn't have a life,
Didn't have a life,
But surely saved one."
See? I'm alright
Now it's time for us to let you go.
Listen to the tales and romanticize,
How we'd follow the path of the hero.
Boast about the day when the rivers overrun.
How we rise to the height of our halo.
Listen to the tales as we all rationalize
Our way into the arms of the savior,
Feigning all the trials and the tribulations;
None of us have actually been there.
Not like you.
Ignorant flippants in the congregation
Gather around spewing sympathy,
Spare me.
None of them can even hold a candle up to you.
Blinded by choice, these hypocrites won't see.
But, enough about the collective Judas.
Who could deny you were the one who
Illuminated your little piece of the divine?
And this little light of mine, a gift you passed on to me;
I'm gonna let it shine to guide you safely on your way,
Your way home ...
Oh, what are they going to do when the lights go down
Without you to guide them all to Zion?
What are they going to do when the rivers overrun
Other than tremble incessantly?
High is the way, but all eyes are upon the ground.
You were the light and the way they'll only read about.
I only pray, Heaven knows when to lift you out.
Ten thousand days in the fire is long enough;
You're going home.
You're the only one who can hold your head up high,
Shake your fists at the gates saying:
"I've come home now!
Fetch me the spirit, the son, and the father.
Tell them their pillar of faith has ascended.
It's time now!
My time now!
Give me my, give me my wings!"
You are the light and way that they will only read about.
Set as I am in my ways and my arrogance,
(With the) burden of proof tossed upon the believers.
You were my witness, my eyes, my evidence,
Judith Marie, unconditional one.
Daylight dims leaving cold fluorescence.
Difficult to see you in this light.
Please forgive this bold suggestion, but
Should you see your Maker's face tonight,
Look Him in the eye, look Him in the eye, and tell Him:
"I never lived a lie, never took a life, but surely saved one.
Hallelujah, it's time for you to bring me home."
Shijing said:Speaking of goosebumps, there are these songs by Maynard James Keenan about his mother, Judith Marie. She was a very religious person who suffered a stroke when she was close to 30, which left her wheelchair-bound and partially paralyzed. This only served to increase her faith,
Tigersoap said:Been listening to Thirteenth step recently again, I just play one song then suddenly I am listening to the whole album again.
Tigersoap said:Although I don't really know what to think of Maynard James Keenan as a person.
Shijing said:He's an interesting guy -- he definitely has issues, but he seems to realize it and writes about them honestly and voluminously. He's had a longstanding problem with fan stalkers, and he changed his name so that his son wouldn't have to deal with the same problem -- he apparently uses a paintball gun to chase unwanted visitors away from his house :)