Liar's Nightmare (Live At Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Sept. 1993) - Graham Nash

Liar's Nightmare

Melody by Jean Ritche

Pub. By Geordie Music, Inc. (ASCAP), Nashnotes, Inc. (BMI)

I have always been here

And I'll always be there

I can honestly tell you

That I really don't care

If all the babies are broken

And the old folks are blind

There's a hole in my heart

But I know you don't mind

If I laugh at the cripples

And I cry for the clowns

And I welcome the madness

That I see coming down

And I have no opinions

So I feel no remorse

I can see the Black Knight

Riding up on his horse

And there's fire in his nostrils

And blood in his eyes

And he's looking at you, kid

As he races on by

So watch out for his hooves

They're gonna kill you for sure

He's got some kind of sickness

That no man can cure

And his breath it will burn you

And put out your eyes

He'll tear out your tongues

So you can't even cry

That your body is broken

And your spirit is dead

And you hope against hope

That it's a bad dream you had

About a meeting with Elvis

At the back of the store

You're both shoveling plasticware

Right out of the door

And the men who control you

Keep yelling for more, more, more, more

You pay all your taxes

But you don't know what for

'Cause nothing seems to get better

Things seem to get worse

We're all living in danger

From a politician's curse

All promises have been broken

All lips have been read

Well the mouth has spoken

But nothing's been said

The dream has been shattered

The flags have been burned

You better make up your minds

From whatever you've learned

About your family values

And the way they've been scorned

Some babies have been battered

Way before they've been born

Some call me a liar

Some call me a thief

But the way that I look at things

I can't get no relief

So I went to a meeting

Spoke out of fear

They said, "Thank you for sharing,

Now why are you here?"

I said: everything's shaking

Including myself

I keep all my feelings

High up on a shelf

And I can't seem to reach them

But I know they were there

I'm trapped in this vacuum

And I'm gasping for air

Some people get better

Some people just fold.

Some people rise above it

Or so I've been told

So I started to leave,

I was searching for more

They caught ahold of my sleeve

But I slipped through the door

I ran back to the office

With my back to the wall

When I came to my senses

I had no one to call

So I called up the doctor

He told me to lie

He said, "Get out of this nightmare

Or you surely will die?

So I forced myself to wake up

And opened my eyes

But the man in the mirror

Was there in disguise

He was playing his part,

Living in a trance

Sentenced to be a witness

'Cause he had no defense

The anesthetic is wearing thin

And you're starting to sweat

And you finally realize

That it ain't over yet

'Cause the way you've been feeling

They must have hit a nerve

I know it's not what you want

But it's what you deserve

The operation is over

Listen to me please

I'm begging forgiveness

Down on my knees

Coming back to consciousness

I was out of my head

Well the dream is over

And I'm back in my bed

I've always been here

And I'll always be there

I can honestly tell you

That I really do care

I gotta tell you the truth

About the sadness I find

I have opened my heart to you,

And I hope you don't mind.