chanson

a silent stage; a dusty beam of light

you're sitting wide-eyed and afraid

i'm in the wings -- i see your tears

i come and join you from the dark

listen to our rosined hearts

beating together; beating apart

it's strange how things grow strong and fade again

you see through me like a plate of glass

you see my eyes

and how i see

see how i can't see through myself

quietly you hear the rain

slurping through an earthy drain

into the roots of our being

you rise and face the blackened room

the expectant audience in their womb

you see the outline of their faces

you see inside

you see yourself

you get up and you start to talk

"please listen to what i say

although it may all seem cliché

it's just a couple of suggestions

i've seen your ways

your ways like mine

it's hard to wander through the dark

just try to find your way around

and get up if you've fallen down

i know it's harder than it sounds like

you have to find
truth for yourself

you can't put your hands on others' backs

and you may never find a light

but without the search, all you've done in life

is sit confounded in a dark room

without a face

without a name

no one can see you properly

but if you live to see your dawning

before you think the chance is gone, you'll

see your face and what it looks like

and who you were

and who you'll be

you'll be fulfilled when you see yourself"

when you finish, look around and see

the people next to you and me

the auditorium's almost empty

a thousand lights

a thousand men

they look around and through skin