(Peter Yarrow)

So I told him that he'd better shut his mouth
And do his job like a man
And he answered "Listen, Father,
I will never kill another"
He thinks he's better
than his brother that died
What the hell does he think he's doing
To his father who brought him up right?

[Chorus:]

Take your place on The Great Mandala
As it moves through your brief moment of time
Win or lose now you must choose now
And if you lose you're only losing your life

Tell the jailer not to bother
With his meal of bread and water today
He is fasting 'til the killing's over
He's a martyr, he thinks he's a prophet
But he's a coward, he's just playing a game
He can't do it, he can't change it
It's been going on for ten thousand years

[Chorus]

Tell the people they are safe now
Hunger stopped him, he lies still in his cell
Death has gagged his accusations

We are free now, we can kill now,
We can hate now, now we can end the world
We're not guilty, he was crazy
And it's been going on for ten thousand years!

Take your place on The Great Mandala
As it moves through your brief moment of time
Win or lose now you must choose now
And if you lose you've only wasted your life