(Sullivan/Heaton/Nelson)
Today, as you listen to this song, another 394,000 children
were born into this worldthey break like waves of
hunger and desire upon these eroded shorescarrying
the curses of history and a history yet unwrittenthe oil
burns in thick black columns, the buzz saws echo through
the forest floorthey shout give us our fair share,
give us justice
here comes the war
On a grey morning to the south of here two young men in
makeshift uniforms peer into the misty lightand
figures dart behind the trees as a snap of rifle rounds
echoes out across the fieldswell they hardly know their
sacred mother tonguebut they know their duty to defend
the flag hanging limp and bloody above the village church
while a thousand miles away in a warehouse complex down by
the riveryoung money men play paintball games
here comes the war
Put out the lights on the age of reason
Blow out the candle and tell us another of those great stories
the ones about serial killerslet dreams flow into savage
timesdo you hear the sirens scream across the city,
we've had three hot nights in successionthe riot season is
here againdear lord lead us back into the valley of the
shadow of death
here comes the war
Did you think we were born in peaceful times?
Faster, fasterlike a whirling dervish spinning round
faster, fastertill the centre cannot holdfaster, faster
You screamed give us liberty or give us death
Now you've got both, what do you want next?
here comes the war
Put out the lights on the age of reason