Long Long Time

Its been a long, long... time
Its been a long, long... time

When I was a kid I used to draw airplanes with stars and bars shooting down airplanes adorned with hammers and sickles. I bought a hundred water guns so I could save the world, saving my lunch money, stealing my father's quarters, dimes and nickels

I discovered religion watching Luke Skywalker rescue Princess Lea and destroying the Death Star by letting go and closing his eyes. And I devoured comic books, three color mythologies taught me right and wrong and if you believed, you could fly

Its been a long, long... time
Its been a long, long... time

I remember listening to songs about trains and feeling the rush of wonder at the possibility that the world was infinite and accessible all at the same time. Then it was songs about highways and born to be wild and little red Corvette and the road went on forever in my mind. But now its clogged bumper to bumper with stinking SUVs and two story pick-up trucks that can drive over anything except the two story pick-up truck right in front of it. Now even the highways look the same... Starbucks, 7-11s and WalMart's jam the feeder roads. We don't live around this mess, we live under it

Its been a long, long... time
Its been a long, long... time

Now all the songs are about gangsters and guns and the TV speeds by at a hundred deaths an hour and everyone wants to pull off the crime of the century. Steal 200 gazillion dollars, enough to buy myself an island and build a real honest to God train on it for no one but me... and get away with it. Get away with it. We Americans are Freedom loving people and nothing says freedom like getting away with it. We went from Billy The Kid to Richard Nixon, Enron, Exxon, OJ Simpson. We used to dream about heroes but now its just how to beat the system. So where do we go to dream now? Up on the roof of the projects, straining through the the city lights to see if they've built golden arches on the moon yet? Self medicated, half sedated, trying our best to stay distracted, living life according to the TV set. Corporations owning nations, telling us don't change the station; it's the only safe way to win the human race

I wonder how the world sees us; rich beyond compare, powerful without equal? A spoiled 15 year old waving a gun in their face?

Its been a long, long... time
Its been a long, long... time

...Since I felt fine