The Light (1995)

The Light

Tracks

  1. The Light (13:53) - MIDI
    • i: The Dream
    • ii: One Man
    • iii: Garden People
    • iv: Looking Straight Into The Light
    • v: The Man In The Mountain
    • vi: Senor Valasco’s Mystic Voodoo Love Dance
    • vii: The Return Of The Horrible Catfish Man
    • viii: The Dream
  2. Go The Way You Go (12:03)
  3. The Water (23:14) - MIDI
    • i: Introduction / The Water
    • ii: When It All Goes To Hell
    • iii: A Thief In The Night
    • iv: FU / I’m Sorry
    • v: The Water (revisited)
    • vi: Runnin’ The Race
    • vii: Reach For The Sky
  4. On The Edge (6:11) - MIDI

MIDI files courtesy of Peter Freund

Neal Morse: lead vocals, mellotron, Hammond organ, all other keyboards, acoustic & electric guitar
Alan Morse: lead electric guitar, cello, mellotron & vocals
Dave Meros: bass, french horn
Nick D’Virgilio: drums, percussion, vocals

Lyrics

The Light

I: The Dream

What
Makes a dream
So very different
From any other dream
Where is that
Straight line
That I can hold up
To the light
And say no!
This is not right
This does not
Stand up
In the light

II: One Man

Call me cavanaugh
I’m the one with the caveman jaw
Call me Smitty or Jones
Talkin’ on the tv’s and the telephones
I am the critical masses
Stand back and watch as time passes

I am the centerfold
I know the stories before they get told
You can call me Kennedy
You may have killed him but you cannot kill me
I am the crippled and blind
I paint the pretty pictures on the subway signs
Yeah, I am everything to everyone
And I won’t go away at the point of a gun

All of this in one man

I am rock ‘n roll
I am classical, country and soul
I am the nun and the flasher
I am the father, the son and the bastard
I am the church and the steeple
Open the door and see all the people

All of this in one man

III: Garden People

I’m coming down
People’s garden
Garden people
People’s garden
Garden people

IV: Looking Straight Into The Light

Look!
There’s a light
Headed for the sun
Stand and you might
Turn to everyone
The lady, the lass
Melt into glass
Looking straight into the light

Stand at the door
That would not open wide
You tried so hard before
But now we’re on your side
You see us all - the left and the right
Looking straight into the light

You see us all - the left and the right
Looking straight into the light
Looking straight into the light
Looking straight into the light!

In the light

V: The Man In The Mountain

I am the man in mountain
I stand alone - I’ve been downed
In a sea of loveless illusion
So many lost - so many drowned

Got no church - got no steeple
Got no time for you people
I live the life of a shadow
The only chance that I have now
Is there
In the light

They wore all kinds of things on their heads to disguise
That they’d rather be unfettered than be wealthy and wise
And they listened as their enemies made a similar sound
And they watched a million cars go by
They were gaining some ground
But they didn’t know what to do
With this thing they had found
So they had a party!?

VI: Senor Valasco’s Mystic Voodoo Love Dance

I am senor Valasco
I drink my milk with tabasco
Got no place to stand
Got no home, no land, but I
Don’t ever want to die
Don’t place no one before I
I am the mask and the chamber
I know of love not of danger
Got no place to go
Ain’t nothin’ better than be here
Don’t ever want to die
Don’t place no one before I

Don’t ever want to die
Don’t place no one before I

VII: The Return Of The Horrible Catfish Man

I am the catfish man!
I can’t hear you!
Go ahead and have a nice day now
Go ahead and say what you say now
I stand humanis erectus
Stand back… ha… ha… ha!
I am… I am

All of this in one man

VIII: The Dream

What
Makes a dream
So very different
From any other dream
Where is that
Straight line
That I can hold up
To the light and say yes!
This is alright
This one will
Stand up
In the
Light

Go The Way You Go

Look
Another heart is beating
But how?
Why?
There must be some way to know
So many roads are weaving
And I
Wish
I knew which way I should go

Go the way you go
You can’t know what you don’t know
Go the way
Go the way you go

So
You say the world if perfect
And all
There is
is all there could be
But it’s all just words to me
Can
You
Say more ‘cause I want to know

Go the way you go
You can’t know what you don’t know
Go the way
Go the way you go

Half moon bay playin’ forty fives
Hammer’s in the window while the moose man drives
And they’re passing cars like people
And they never say the things they know
And the master of disaster is sleepin’ in the road

Carbon copy of the last place you know
The past is telling how the future will go
And I can’t believe you’re asking (In your mind)
I can’t believe it’s taking (so much time)
Sometimes you know the sun can burn you blind

Go the way you go

All kinds of people
Ain’t tied to no mast
Got all kinds of visions
Of futures and pasts

They won’t confiscate you
They’ll quote you no facts
They are the human tides turning
They are the fire burning
Waving their banner of white
The people are right
The people are right
The people are right!

The people are right
The people are right
Are they right?!

Look
Another day is breaking
And hot
Light
Will soon turn the black to blue
I know these roads are weaving
But it’s
Alright
Trust in the ones you choose

Go the way you go
(and trust what you choose)
You can’t know what you don’t know
(there ain’t no way to lose now)
Go the way you go
(no matter what you do)
You can’t know what you don’t know
Go the way you go

The Water

I: Introduction/The Water

I am the water
I am the ocean king
I own the red sky
I am the one who makes…
Dreams…
Real

II: When It All Goes to Hell

There you are
It’s soft and it’s red
Floating free
In your own private bed
Then one day
You’re pushed down a well
And you feel your funny bone crack
When it all goes to hell

You come into
A world cold and bright
And after a while
It all seems alright
You dance and play
But it’s too soon to tell
That you’ll find yourself scathed and attacked
When it all goes to hell

When it all goes to hell

And you don’t even try to get up
When it all goes to hell

III: A Thief in the Night

I was a general
Of darkness and light
I was to be the major man
It was some kind of sight

I was going to stand alone
And do what was right
Now I’m just another stepping stone
A thief in the night

So where were all of those
Angels and priests
Who said they’d carry me
Beyond my beliefs

Where are all of them now
They’re gone from my sight
My mother and father deserted me
Like thieves in the night

Yes, where are all of them now
They’re gone from my side
My mother and father deserted me
Like thieves in the night

I was the water
I was the ocean king
I ruled the red sky
I could do anything
‘Til you, you
You messed me up
You, you
You all messed me up

IV: FU/I’m Sorry

You gave me this home and then you left me alone
FUCK YOU
You act real nice while you’re exacting your price
FUCK YOU

Everyone’s got their opinions
They’ll tell ya ‘bout ‘em all the time
What makes ‘em think i wanna hear them
I wish that you’d all fucking die, die, DIE!

You don’t give a shit about anything
FUCK YOU
I don’t know why you even bother to live
FUCK YOU

Everyone’s so pathetic
Always talking all the time
What makes them think that
I give half a shit what’s on their minds, minds, MINDS!

FUCK YOU
[if the truth were told I really hate myself]
FUCK YOU

FUCK YOU
FUCK YOU
FUCK YOU!

I’m so sorry
I really am so, so sorry
If I ever hurt you or caused you pain
I can’t help it
I really, really just can’t help it
When the madman’s on the rise again

Can you understand what it’s like?
You all must understand what it’s like
I can’t help what happened to me
Sometimes it just comes out now can’t you see
Please understand and don’t
Don’t hate me

I’m so sorry
I really am so, so sorry
If I ever hurt you or caused you pain
If you don’t understand it’s all the same
I guess I’ll just be left alone again…

V: The Water (revisited)

I am the water
I am the ocean king
I own the red sky
I am the one who makes…
You…
Feel

VI: Runnin’ the Race

Mocks and spots
Rip up your face
But all that counts
Is that you get to first base
Tension mouths
Then it’s put in its place
And you’re finally having some fun
When you’re runnin’ the race

Chinatown
Is off to your left
The motor pool
Is there on the right
Tension in dot matrix
Right in your face
And you’re finally having some fun
While you’re runnin’ the race

And you’re finally having some fun
While you’re runnin’ the race
Runnin’ the race
Runnin’ the race

VII: Reach for the Sky

After we’ve gone
After the moon rises
And the red flags fly

Gonna reach for the sky
Gonna hold my head up high
Gonna reach for the sky

Storm ragin’
That’ll be alright
If we reach for the sky
Yeah we reach for the sky

Guess there never was…
A winner
Just a race against time
I was mean - I was kind
Eventhough I was blind
I still reach for the sky

Storm ragin’
That’ll be alright
If we reach for the sky
Yeah we reach for the sky

Come on people
Reach for the sky…

On The Edge

Well I’m out
On the edge
Yes I’m out on the…
Edge

Put on your feet
Put on your face
Put these people in their place

Check your hat
Check your coat
Try to keep your checks afloat

Don’t you crack
‘Cause they might see
That you’re not who you’re supposed to be
Keep on firing this hard wire wiring
You can’t win; you can’t seem to break free

I’m out on the edge one more time
I’m out on the edge in my mind
‘Tween a rock and a ledge - yes I’m out
Out on the edge

Inside goes
Outside feels
Like a knife softly
Ripping the wheels of time
You don’t know my mind
But I’m telling you - I am telling you now

You cannot hold me - You… you… you!
Cannot hold me down
‘Cause I feel like you
Every chance I get
I just get high

I’m out on the edge one more time
I’m out on the edge in my mind
‘Tween a rock and a ledge - yes I’m out
Out on the edge

And I can’t see the bottom
Can’t look down
Yeah

Well I’m out
On the edge one more time
Reaching across the water
For a drink of wine

The empty glass is fading
The children are all waving
And I’m out on the edge

I’m out on the edge one more time
I’m out on the edge in my mind
‘Tween a rock and a ledge - yes I’m out
Out on the edge

I’m out on the edge one more time
I’m out on the edge in my mind
On the edge - I’m on the edge