Race Among the Ruins (1988 Version) - Gordon Lightfoot

Tonight's the night, and he's ready for a thrill He's got a plan in place, and he's dressed to kill Tonights the night, and he's dressed to impress She never knew what she had coming He seemed so charming, so promising Any fool could see his intent How could she be so blind? How could she be so blind? Now she wakes alone and confused Now she wakes up alone and confused He walks away, his mission's been fulfilled He changed her life, in the blink of an eye Now the predator, has become the prey I'm hunting scum, that's all there is to say I can't wait for his throat to fill my hands I will squeeze and ignore all demands Vengeance is what fills my eyes I follow his every step, close behind The chance to be alone is finally here Can't turn back now, my motives are clear Tonight's the night, and I'm ready for a thrill I've got a plan in place, now I'm dressed to kill Tonight's the night, and he's dressed to impress Without, without a shred of innocence Strap him down This night of torture begins, now He awakens and begins to struggle Sees my face and begins to buckle This is violence This is revenge This is violence and revenge (this is violence) This is violence and revenge (this is revenge) This is violence and revenge (this is violence) This is violence and revenge This is revenge

The legend lives on from the chippewa on down Of the big lake they called 'gitche gumee' The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead When the skies of november turn gloomy With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more Than the edmund fitzgerald weighed empty. That good ship and crew was a bone to be chewed When the gales of november came early. The ship was the pride of the american side Coming back from some mill in wisconsin As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most With a crew and good captain well seasoned Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms When they left fully loaded for cleveland And later that night when the ship's bell rang Could it be the north wind they'd been feelin'? The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound And a wave broke over the railing And every man knew, as the captain did too, T'was the witch of november come stealin'. The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait When the gales of november came slashin'. When afternoon came it was freezin' rain In the face of a hurricane west wind. When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin'. Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya. At seven p.m. a main hatchway caved in, he said Fellas, it's been good t'know ya The captain wired in he had water comin' in And the good ship and crew was in peril. And later that night when his lights went outta sight Came the wreck of the edmund fitzgerald. Does any one know where the love of god goes When the waves turn the minutes to hours? The searches all say they'd have made whitefish bay If they'd put fifteen more miles behind her. They might have split up or they might have capsized; May have broke deep and took water. And all that remains is the faces and the names Of the wives and the sons and the daughters. Lake huron rolls, superior sings In the rooms of her ice-water mansion. Old michigan steams like a young man's dreams; The islands and bays are for sportsmen. And farther below lake ontario Takes in what lake erie can send her, And the iron boats go as the mariners all know With the gales of november remembered. In a musty old hall in detroit they prayed, In the maritime sailors' cathedral. The church bell chimed till it rang twenty-nine times For each man on the edmund fitzgerald. The legend lives on from the chippewa on down Of the big lake they call 'gitche gumee'. Superior, they said, never gives up her dead When the gales of november come early!

Who are these ones who would lead us now To the sound of a thousand guns Storm the gates of hell itself To the tune of a single drum Where are the girls of the neighborhood bars Whose loves were lost at sea In the hills of France and on German soil From Saigon to Wounded Knee Who come from long lines of soldiers Whose duty was fulfilled In the words of a warrior's will And protocol Where are the boys in their coats of blue Who flew when their eyes were blind Was God in town for the Roman games Was he there when the deals were signed Who are the kings in their coats of mail Who rode by the cross to die Did they all go down into worthiness Is it wrong for a king to cry And who are these ones who would have us now Whose presence is concealed Whose nature is revealed In a time bomb And last of all you old seadogs Who travel after whale You'd storm the gates of hell itself For the taste of a mermaid's tail Who come from long lines of skippers Whose duty was fulfilled In the words of a warrior's will And protocol

Upon the Bitter Green she was The hills above the town Echoed to the footsteps As soft as eider down Waiting for her master To kiss away her tears Waiting through the years Bitter Green they called her Walking in the sun Loving everyone that she met Bitter Green they called her Waiting in the sun Waiting for someone to take her hand Some say he was a sailor Who died away at sea Some say he was a prisoner Who never was set free Lost upon the ocean He died there in the mist Dreaming of a kiss Bitter Green they called her Walking in the sun Loving everyone that she met Bitter Green they called her Waiting in the sun Waiting for someone to take her home. Musical Interlude But now, that Bitter Green is gone The hills have turned to rust There comes a weary stranger His tears fall in the dust Kneeling by the churchyard In the autumn mist Dreaming of a kiss Bitter Green they called her Walking in the sun Loving everyone that she met Bitter Green they called her Waiting in the sun Waiting for someone to take her hand Bitter Green they called her Walking in the sun Loving everyone that she met Bitter Green they called her Waiting in the sun Waiting for someone To take her hand

In the early morning rain with a dollar in my hand With an aching in my heart and my pockets full of sand Now, I'm a long way from home and I miss my loved ones so In the early morning rain with no place to go Out on runway number nine a big 707's set to go And I'm stuck here in the grass where the cold wind blows Now, the liquor tasted good and the women all were fast Well, there she goes, my friend, well she's going down at last Hear the mighty engines roar - see the silver bird on high She's away and westward bound - far above the clouds she'll fly There the morning rain don't fall and the sun always shines She'll be flying over my home in about three hours time This old airport's got me down - it's no earthly good to me 'Cause I'm stuck here on the ground as cold and drunk as I can be You can't jump a jet plane like you can a freight train So, I'd best be on my way in the early morning rain You can't jump a jet plane like you can a freight train So, I'd best be on my way in the early morning rain

Turn around go back down go back the way you came Can't you see the flash of fire ten times brighter than the day And behold the mighty city broken in the dust again Oh God the pride of man broken in the dust again Turn around go back down go back the way you came Babylon is laid to waste Egypt's buried in her shame Their mighty men are beaten down the kings are fallen in the ways Oh God the pride of man broken in the dust again Turn around go back down go back the way you came Terror is on everyside though the leaders are dismayed Those who put their faith in fire in fire their faith shall be repaid Oh God the pride of man broken in the dust again Turn around go back down go back the way you came Shout a warning to the nations that the sword of god is raised On Babylon that mighty city rich in treasure wide in fame It shall cause thy towers to fall and make it be a pyre of flame Oh God the pride of man broken in the dust again Thou that dwell on many water rich in treasure wide in fame Bow unto a god of gold thy pride of might shall be thy shame Oh God the pride of man broken in the dust again And only God can lead the people back into the earth again Thy holy mountain be restored thy mercy on thy people Lord