Robert Fripp

Here it comes, here comes another day
Another decision on the way
Well here it comes, here comes a covered display
Of preferences to make
Here comes a knock on the door
Open it for an opportunity
Well here it comes, here comes a physical rain
Of memories to be made

Eyes wide open
Eyes wide open all the time

'N there it was, it was the perfect take
And were you asleep or awake?
There it was, it was a perfect time
To speak your mind
'N there it was, it was the chance of a lifetime
It flew right by and what did you do?
Well there it was, it was another day
For memories to be made

Eyes wide open
Eyes wide open all the time
I've got my eyes wide open all the time
Eyes wide open
Because you never know
What you might see

Memories to be made

Eyes wide open
Eyes wide open all the time
I've got my eyes wide open
Eyes wide open
Because you never know
What you might see

Six billion ants crawling on a plate
Six billion ants crawling on a plate
None of them give back as much as they take
Six billion ants crawling on a plate

Doesn't mean you should just because you can
It doesn't mean you should just because you can
Like Abraham and Ishmael fighting over sand
It doesn't mean you should just because you can

That is a fact of life
That is a fact of life

Now some of us build and some of us teach
Some of us build, some of us teach
And some of us kill what some of us eat

That is a fact of life
That is a fact of life

Nobody knows what happens when you die
Nobody knows what happens when you die
Believe what you want, it doesn't mean you're right

That is a fact of life
That is a fact of life

And when I have some words
This is the way I'll sing
Through a distortion box
To make them menacing

Yeah, then I'm gonna have to write a chorus
We're gonna need to have a chorus
And this would seem to be as good as any other place to sing it till I'm blue in the face
Yes, I'm gonna have to write a chorus
I’m gonna need to have a chorus
And this would seem to be as good as any other place to sing it till I'm blue in the face

Happy with what you have to be happy with
You have to be happy with what you have
To be happy with what you have
Happy with what you have to be happy with
You have to be happy with what you have
To be happy with what you have
You have to be happy with what you have to happy with

And for a second verse
Of terse economy
I'll brew another pot
Of ambiguity

Then I'm gonna have to write a chorus
We're gonna need to have a chorus
And this would seem to be as good as any other place to sing it till I'm blue in the face
Yes, we're gonna need to have a chorus
I'm gonna have to write a chorus
And this would seem to be as good as any other place to sing it till I'm blue in the face

Happy with what you have to be happy with
You have to be happy with what you have
To be happy with what you have
Happy with what you have to be happy with
You have to be happy with what you have
To be happy with what you have
You have to be happy with what you have to happy with

Then I guess I'll repeat the chorus
We're gonna repeat the chorus
I guess I'll repeat the chorus
We're gonna repeat the chorus
Then I guess I'll repeat the chorus
We're gonna repeat the chorus
I guess I'll repeat the chorus
We're gonna repeat the chorus

Happy with what you have to be happy with
You have to be happy with what you have
To be happy with what you have
Happy with what you have to be happy with
You have to be happy with what you have
To be happy with what you have
You have to be happy with what you have to happy with

She carries me through days of apathy
She washes over me
She saved my life in a manner of speaking
When she gave me back the power to believe

She carries me through days of apathy
She washes over me
She saved my life in a manner of speaking
When she gave me back the power to believe

She carries me?
She saved my life

Tragedys of Kennedys, refugees, AIDS disease
photos of Hiroshima, the Holocaust, and Kosovo
Tim McVeigh, Saddam Hussein, the bombing of the World Trade
hostages in Bosnia, atrocities, South Africa,
abortion and Kevorkian, Vietnam, napalm,
Lady Di, and Lennon died a violent crime, Columbine,
"I have a dream that one day..." Rodney King, O.J.,
symbols of our life and times, "One giant leap for mankind"

I was just now thinking about the Jaws Of Life
how they chew you up and spit you right
back into the frying pan

And how life unwinds around and around
up and down, you think you're fine
but then you're back in the frying pan

And how life unwinds
you think you're fine
but then...

Well, I woke up this morning in a cloud of despair
I ran my hand across my head,
pulled out a pile or worried hair
I went to my physician who was buried in his thoughts
he said, "Son, you've been reading
too much Elephant Talk"

He said, "The thing about depression is,
well you just can't let it get you down,
you have to see the world for what it is:
a circus full of freaks and clowns
and you'll never please everybody,
it's a well established fact",
he said, "I recommend a fifth of Jack
and a bottle of Prozac"

What can you give a man who has everything
can you give him back his edge,
can you make him want to sing?
No, you can only take from him,
and there's nothing he can do
I've got the driving me to drink and eat
a bottle of Prozac blues

Well, I woke up this morning and I shaved of my head
by the time I realized what I had done I was already dead
I went to see the gatekeeper standing by Heaven's door
he said, "I hope you brought a good supply of... you know"

Pain day sky beauty die black joy
Love empty day life die pain passion
Joy black day hate beauty die life
Joy ache empty day pain die love
Passion joy black light

And if God is dead, what am I
A fleck of dirt on the wing of a fly
Hurtling to earth
Through a hole in the sky
A hole in the sky

And if Warhol's a genius, what am I
A speck of lint on the penis of an alien
Buried in gelatin
Beneath the sands of Venus

Time sun hurt trust peace dark rage
Sad white rain sun anger hurt soft
Trust night rage rain white hope dark
Sacred sun time trust hurt rage anger
Rain white light

And if a bird can speak, who once was a dinosaur
And a dog can dream; should it be implausible
That a man might supervise
The construction of light
The construction of light

Pain day sky beauty black die joy
Love empty time sun hurt trust peace
Dark rage sad white rain hate anger
Hope sacred passion life night ache soft
Light

Pain day sky beauty die black joy
love empty day life die pain passion
joy black day hate beauty die life
joy ache empty day pain die love
passion joy black light

And if God is dead what am I,
a fleck of dirt on the wing of a fly
hurtling to earth
through a hole in the sky

And if Warhol's a genius, what am I,
a speck of lint on the penis of an alien
buried in gelatin
beneath the sands of Venus

Time sun hurt trust peace dark rage
sad white rain sun anger hurt soft
trust night rage rain white hope dark
sacred sun time trust hurt rage anger
rain white light

And if a bird can speak, who once was a dinosaur,
and a dog can dream; should it be implausible
that a man might supervise
the construction of light
the construction of light

Pain day sky beauty black die joy
love empty time sun hurt trust peace
dark rage sad white rain hate anger
hope sacred passion life night ache soft
light

Hat bandana Graham cracker jackhammer in
a nail file suit your self-serviceman
the world's my oyster soup kitchen floor wax museum
autographed pictures of Shakespeare fishing
gear head phone Madison Square garden hose
the world's my oyster soup kitchen floor wax museum

Get set get wet get fat get fit get a life
get it on get it up get it off of me
the world's my oyster soup kitchen floor wax museum
get sacked get the facts get a load of this
get pissed get real get over it get it over with
the world's my oyster soup bowling ball of wax museum

Cannibal dog house plan B happy
as a lark's tongue in cheekbone china doll
the world's my oyster soup kitchen floor wax museum
don't ask Y2 cake and eat it too
nothing lasts for evergreen thumbscrew
the world's my oyster soup kitchen door frame by frame

Get back slapback backtalk halfback back track talkback
back to back I'll be back to get you back
the world's my oyster soup kitchen floor wax museum
get bumped get pumped get dumped get the funk
get sick get fixed get jiggy with it
the world's my oyster souffle mignon

Get set get wet get fat get fit
get along little doggiem get it off of me
oyster soup kitchen floor wax museum
get sacked get the facts get a load of this
the world's my oyster soup kitchen floor wax museum

Cat's foot iron claw
Neuro-surgeons scream for more
At paranoia's poison door
Twenty first century schizoid man.

Blood rack barbed wire
Politicians' funeral pyre
Innocents raped with napalm fire
Twenty first century schizoid man.

Death seed blind man's greed
Poets' starving children bleed
Nothing he's got he really needs
Twenty first century schizoid man.

If I only could deceive you
Forgetting the game
Every time I try to leave you
You laugh just the same

'Cause my wheels never touch the road
And the jumble of lies we told
Just returns to my back to weigh me down...

We lay cards upon the table
The backs of our hands
And I swear I like your people
The boys in the band

Reminiscences gone astray
Coming back to enjoy the fray
In a tangle of night and daylight sounds...

All completeness in the morning
Asleep on your side
I'll be waking up the crewmen
Banana-boat ride

She responds like a limousine
Brought alive on the silent screen
To the shuddering breath of yesterday...

There's the succour of the needy
Incredible scenes
I'll believe you in the future
Your life and death dreams

As the cavalry of despair
Takes a stand in the lady's hair
For the favour of making sweet sixteen...

You make my life and times
A book of bluesy Saturdays
And I have to chose...

Your admirers on the street
Gotta hoot and stamp their feet
In the heat from your physique
As you twinkle by
in moccasin sneakers

And I thought my heart would break
When you doubled up at the stake
With your fingers all a-shake
You could never tell a winner
from a snake
but you always make money

Easy money

With your figure and your face
Strutting out at every race
Throw a glass around the place
Show the colour of your crimson
suspenders

We would take the money home
Sit around the family throne
My old dog could chew his bone
For two weeks we could appease
the Almighty

Easy money

Got no truck with the la-di-da
Keep my bread in an old fruit jar
Drive you out in a motor-car
Getting fat on your lucky star
just making

Easy money.

Now...in this faraway land
Strange...that the palms of my hands
Should be damp with expectancy

Spring...and the air's turning mild
City lights...and the glimpse of a child
Of the alleyway infantry

Friends...do they know what I mean
Rain...and the gathering green
Of an afternoon out-of-town

But Lord I had to go
My trail was laid too slow behind me
To face the call of fame
Or make a drunkard's name for me
Though now this other life
Has brought a different understanding
And from these endless days
Shall come a broader sympathy
And though I count the hours
To be alone's no injury...

My home...was a place near the sand
Cliffs...and a military band
Blew and air of normality

I guess I tried to show you how
I'd take the crowd with my guitar
And business men would clap their hands
And clip another fat cigar
And publishers would spread the news
And print my music far and wide
And all the kids who played the blues
Would learn my licks with a bottle
neck slide

But now it seems the bubble's burst
Although you know there was a time
When love songs gathered in my head
With poetry in every line
And strong men strove to hold the doors
While with my friends I passed the age
When people stomped on dirty floors
Before I trod the rock'n'roll stage

I'll thank the man who's on the 'phone
And if he has the time to spend
The problem I'll explain once more
And indicate a sum to lend
That ten percent is now a joke
Maybe thirty, even thirty-five
I'll say my daddy's had a stroke
He'd have one now, if he only was alive

I like the way you look at me
You're laughing too down there inside
I took my chance and you took yours
You crewed my ship, we missed the tide
I like the way the music goes
There's a few good guys
who can play it right
I like the way it moves my toes
Just say when you want to go
and dance all night...

Shine, shine,
the light of good works shine
The watch before the city gates
depicted in their prime
That golden light all grimy now
Three hundred years have passed
The worthy Captain and
his squad of troopers standing fast

The artist knew their faces well
The husbands of his lady friends
His creditors and councillors
In armour bright, the merchant men

Official moments of the guild
In poses keen from bygone days
The city fathers frozen there
Upon the canvas dark with age

The smell of paint, a flask of wine
And turn those faces all to me
The blunderbuss and halberd-shaft
And Dutch respectability

They make their entrance one by one
Defenders of that way of life
The redbrick home, the bourgeoisie
Guitar lessons for the wife

So many years we suffered here
Our country racked with Spanish wars
Now comes a chance to find ourselves
And quiet reigns behind our doors
We think about posterity again

And so the pride of little men
The burghers good and true
Still living through the painter's hand
Request you all to understand

Walking down the street, do you stare at your feet
and never do you let your eyes meet the freaks,
the deadbeat addicts, social fanatics,
they're a dime a dozen and they carry guns

Halloween, every other day of the week
Living in a cage in the USA
Living in a cage in the USA
Holy smoke! Somebody blew up the Pope
Living in a cage in the USA

All around us the rules are changing
Taller walls and stronger cages
Nothing is sacred or too outrageous
Taller walls and stronger cages
What in the world has happened to the world?
What in the world...

Driving your Mercedes you think you're safe
but there is no escape in a world of hateful
criminal minds with guns and knives
who say "give me a ride or give me your live"

Halloween, every other day of the week
Living in a cage in the USA
Living in a cage in the USA
Holy smoke! Somebody blew up the Pope
Living in a cage in the USA

All around us the rules are changing
Taller walls and stronger cages
Nothing is sacred or too outrageous
Taller walls and stronger cages
What in the world has happened to the world?
What in the world...

one eye goes laughing,
one eye goes crying
through the trials and trying of one life
one hand is tied,
one step gets behind
in one breath we're dying

i've been waiting for the sun to come up
waiting for the showers to stop
waiting for the penny to drop
one time
and i've been standing in a cloud of plans
standing on the shifting sands
hoping for an open hand
one time

sex sleep eat drink dream
primal tribal aplle egg vegetable eel
i have a new canoe but it does not have a wheel

private velvet animal oldsmobile mind
i'm sitting in the fireplace burning up my time

private velvet animal empty t.v.
they're fishing in the kitchen
but they haven't caught up to me

primal tribal chemical digital night
i've got to get dressed to go out of my mind

sex sleep eat drink dream