I went to my mother,
Said — please make me king
I went to my mother
Said — I’ve got to be king
She said son — well you’ve got to wait your turn
Patience is a virtue that you never seemed to learn
You were born with nothing, to nothing you’ll return
Now, now the lights go out
There’s no warning
Now, now the lights go out
There’s no reason
Now, now the voices cry
We don’t want need you
I went to my father
Said please make me king
Went to my father
Said — I’ve got to be king
He said son — you’ve got to do your time
I’ve done 53 years but I haven’t yet done mine
You’re just one of the millions waiting in line
Now, now the lights go out…
History gave us meaning, gave us a place
Gave my father reasons for the lines on his face
But we asked for the money and money they gave
And God how that made us easy to enslave
So today at the office we picked up the cheque
The handshake of gold, the stab in the back
The old man went home silent and bowed
The young men went drinking, drowning it out
So in every street, in every town
Comes some young pretender
Just running for a crown — take it — take it all
But now, now the lights go out…