Beyond Reason lyricsFrom Frontline (1984), On The Frontline (1984)
Beyond Reason (John Schumann) The night closed in around us And we trimmed the lamps again, Against the greatest darkness man had known: A nation’s grain was locked against The famine of another, And hope was in the fast lane riding home. They were roaring from their buildings Which were monuments to freed and fear, And the science and the logic that had failed: And minds were merely silicon, Where the aimless world had power To grasp the thunder and to dash it to the ground. We were slow to come in anger ‘Cause we were slow to understand, And we groped for words that might contain the rage: And naked terror fade into shadows of despair, Still we fought the rising madness of our age. And we marched in tens of thousands While the cynics printed curses ‘Cause as usual, they’d seen it all before: And our freedom left us nothing But to turn to face the tyranny of silence Lest it blow away the door. The dark and dreadful morning Of a limited exchange. The force and motion made the planet reel: A flash of sightless white ripped through The avenues and highways. Explosion bred explosion from within… And a writhing earth in agony and a bleeding Smoking wasteland, Where the wind sang songs of poison to the dawn: And we wondered while we waitedif some beings Out in space and time, Were watching just another fading star…. Those who gained the shelters were those who faced the judgement Of a pale and tragic sun upon our faces: The crumbling ruins, the acid rain, The dull and dreary waiting, The sickness and the anger and the pain…. And the broken flagpoles once so proud lay Scattered on the cars and the homes Of friends of ours who didn’t even know: And our memories closed upon a world That didn’t see the morning, And a cold wind blew to the corners of our souls… |
From "On The Frontline" at Sydney Entertainment Centre, April 24 1984
1984 Frontline album version
|