If nothing is given

nothing is required

sent early to bed

the boy never tired

alone in the dark

he learned not to cry

then in his dream

he could fall, he could fly

(the bird's on the wing

there's blood on the thorn)

alone in the dark

he learned not to cry

then in his dream

he could fall, he could fly

(the bird's on the wing

there's blood on the thorn

the snails on the runway

a comet is born)



It was a careless life in any sense

A long way out with no defense

Another careless life

Another tilt at staying free

Blessed are the poor in spirit

We'd better be



The women fell silent

when trouble began

they carried the babies

they carried the can

they carried his cases

out to the car

waving him off to

another small war

(everyone thinks and

no one knows

everyone knows and

no one thinks)



It was a careless life in any sense

A long way out with no defense

Another careless life

Another tilt at staying free

Blessed are the poor in spirit

We'd better be



Trawling the desert

the whole press-card jive

tempting the guns

to be sure he's alive



dictating impressions

for memoirs to come

the sky held its breath

the stones were dumb

they blew his driver

out of the jeep

headlines on Sundays

make editors weep

all these adventures

all of these rhymes

don't stand a prayer

in desperate times



(the bird's on the wing

there's blood on the thorn

the snails on the runway

a comet is born

everyone thinks and

no one knows

everyone knows and

nobody knows)



It was a careless life in any sense

A long way out with no defense

Another careless life

Another tilt at staying free

Blessed are the poor in spirit

We'd better be