A memo to a higher office
Open letter to the powers that be
To a God, a King, a head of state
A captain of industry
To the movers and the shakers
Can't everybody see?
It ought to be second nature
I mean, the places where we live
Let's talk about this sensibly
We're not insensitive
I know progress has no patience
But something's got to give
I know you're different
You know I'm the same
We're both too busy
To be taking the blame
I'd like some changes
But you don't have the time
We can't go on thinking
It's a victimless crime
No one is blameless
But we're all without shame
We fight the fire
While we're feeding the flames
Folks have got to make choices
And choices got to have voices
Folks are basically decent
Conventional wisdom would say
Well, we read about
The exceptions
In the papers every day
It ought to be second nature
At least, that's what I feel
"Now I lay me down in Dreamland"
I know perfect's not for real
I thought we might get closer
But I'm ready to make a deal
Today is different
And tomorrow the same
It's hard to take the world
The way that it came
Too many rapids
Keep us sweeping along
Too many captains
Keep on steering us wrong
It's hard to take the heat
It's hard to lay blame
To fight the fire
While we're feeding the flames
Open letter to the powers that be
To a God, a King, a head of state
A captain of industry
To the movers and the shakers
Can't everybody see?
It ought to be second nature
I mean, the places where we live
Let's talk about this sensibly
We're not insensitive
I know progress has no patience
But something's got to give
I know you're different
You know I'm the same
We're both too busy
To be taking the blame
I'd like some changes
But you don't have the time
We can't go on thinking
It's a victimless crime
No one is blameless
But we're all without shame
We fight the fire
While we're feeding the flames
Folks have got to make choices
And choices got to have voices
Folks are basically decent
Conventional wisdom would say
Well, we read about
The exceptions
In the papers every day
It ought to be second nature
At least, that's what I feel
"Now I lay me down in Dreamland"
I know perfect's not for real
I thought we might get closer
But I'm ready to make a deal
Today is different
And tomorrow the same
It's hard to take the world
The way that it came
Too many rapids
Keep us sweeping along
Too many captains
Keep on steering us wrong
It's hard to take the heat
It's hard to lay blame
To fight the fire
While we're feeding the flames
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This song is about people in power. The first verse in saying that he is writing a letter to the politicians -- the heads of state. I see it as a thing of the environment. Especially the line "We fight the fire -- while we're feeding the flames". I'm sure everyone wants a better world with out, say, pollution. Yet we keep polluting anyway.