Lyrics

Ballad of a Sleepwalker (original, full length version)

Bring me the body of Osama Bin Laden
Bring me the soul of the infinite sea
Give back with interest all that's been taken
And I'll give to you a version of me

Bring me the brave firemen who died in the hallways
Bring me the nightcap of Mother McCree
Play me your heartstrings I'll cherish them always
And I'll give to you a version of me

Bring me the hubcaps of Arnold's black hummer
Bring me the gearbox from a gold SUV
Keep in your mind's eye the road trips of summer
And I'll give to you a version of me

Bring me the newspaper on Saturday morning
Bring me some toast and a cup of strong tea
Oh it's on to the wars dear, we've been through the warnings
And I'm wondering which is the right version of me
And I'm wondering which is the right version of me

Show me the scorched sidewalks of lower Manhattan
Bring me the sad stones of old Italy
Give me a press pass to cover the story
But to tell you the truth babe, it ain't up to me

Send me a postcard of the towers at sunset
Paint me a portrait of the powers-that-be
You sure look familiar although we've just met
Which version of you do you intend to show me

Bring me the headstone of Jerry Garcia
Sing me a birdsong in the morning at three
Change gonna come and change gonna go, you know
So keep on shakin it, shake Sugaree

Bring me the foreskin of Ivan the terrible
Bring me the Pentagon's skeleton key
Bring some festoons and garlands of roses
To lay down on old glory in the land of the free
To lay down on old glory in the land of the free

Oh bring me the windpipe of Declan McManus
Sound the old foghorn down by the sea
So we know the old ocean is walking among us
Old like a rum-drinking demon at tea

Bring me the navel of Adam from Eden
Bring me the apple Eve plucked from the tree
Sing me the moment of Adam's temptation
His fall and subsequent mortality

Bring me the galleons of Vasco de Gama
Bring me the laptop of Kevin Spacey
Won't you garland the gates of the city of Baghdad
With flowers and cherries from Washington DC

Show me the peace prize of Nelson Mandela
And the torch of the Statue of Liberty
Show me the hucksters who head up the white house
And I'll show you the tyrants of 2003
And I'll show you the tyrants of 2003

I want the sex life of Cameron Diaz
Bring me the wisdom of late night TV
Build me strong walls of splendid isolation
So I won't have to show you a civil version of me

Bring me a footprint of Robinson Crusoe
Bring me a Bradley fighting machine
Wipe off that make-up and put on your Burka
I want you to know there's another version of me

I want to see the boudoir of Queen Cleopatra
Bring me the moustache of Saddam Hussein
Buy me bright clothing that I saw in a magazine
Cause I love my lifestyle but don't want the pain

Could you forward me those emails about penis enlargement
Botox, liposuction and plastic surgery
If you can't face the facts dear don't look in the mirror
And I can't wait to show you the new improved version of me
And I can't wait to show you the new version of me

Sometimes I know I've got god on my side
Cause she shines a spotlight on my enemies
The rest of the world is asking the question
With which version of god do you intend to kill me

The night's nearly gone now I'm sick of this circus
Pick up the fiddle, what tune shall it be
We've had jigs and reels, a few polkas, mazurkas
Let's have an old time waltz, step 1, 2 and 3
Play an old time waltz for posterity

So gather my children we'll have a good meal together
We'll sing a few sad songs in close harmony
We'll all make our heartstrings vibrate together
And we'll share in each other's good company

Tell all our friends to meet down by the river
On the sweet smelling banks ‘neath the weeping willow tree
We'll cast off our clothing, our doubts and our dark fears
And the fresh water will wash us down to the sea
And the fresh water will roll us down to the sea

So bring me the body of Osama Bin Laden
Bring me the soul of the infinite sea
Give back with interest all that's been taken
And I'll give to you a version of me
And I'll give to you all the versions of me

© Kyle Alden, 2004