On the Shortness of Life
I heard of a man who'd been in politics since he was young
Reforming laws before his eighteenth birthday
Throngs would follow him, they thought he had it all
But he passed away saying he never had a holiday
Well, people always talk about the time they will retire
As if the clock wasn't ticking as they speak
They say, "I'm gonna live on the day that I turn fifty"
As if mortality came with that kind of guarantee
The things I've heard, got me a little disturbed
If you ask what I think about what I've observed
Well I'd say
The greatest tragedy these eyes have seen
Is people waiting for tomorrow while they waste today
For by the time they see what life could be
It's all but slipped away
I don't believe that life is really all that short
I think we just really don't know how to use it
We spend our lives guarding our money and our things
But with our time, we hardly care how and where we lose it
The things I've heard, seem a little absurd
Would you tell me if you see what I've observed?
The greatest tragedy these eyes have seen
Is people waiting for tomorrow while they waste today
For by the time they see what life could be
It's all but slipped away
There will always be a reason we should worry
We want more or we just want it all to stay secure
There will always be a reason for anxiety
To justify a never-ending misery
But if we slow down and look around, I think we'll see
God has made life long enough to learn to be happy
The greatest tragedy these eyes have seen
Is people waiting for tomorrow while they waste today
For by the time they see what life could be
It's all but slipped away
The greatest tragedy these eyes have seen
Is people waiting for tomorrow while they waste today
For they will never see what life could be
Till it's all but slipped away
It's all but slipped away
Reforming laws before his eighteenth birthday
Throngs would follow him, they thought he had it all
But he passed away saying he never had a holiday
Well, people always talk about the time they will retire
As if the clock wasn't ticking as they speak
They say, "I'm gonna live on the day that I turn fifty"
As if mortality came with that kind of guarantee
The things I've heard, got me a little disturbed
If you ask what I think about what I've observed
Well I'd say
The greatest tragedy these eyes have seen
Is people waiting for tomorrow while they waste today
For by the time they see what life could be
It's all but slipped away
I don't believe that life is really all that short
I think we just really don't know how to use it
We spend our lives guarding our money and our things
But with our time, we hardly care how and where we lose it
The things I've heard, seem a little absurd
Would you tell me if you see what I've observed?
The greatest tragedy these eyes have seen
Is people waiting for tomorrow while they waste today
For by the time they see what life could be
It's all but slipped away
There will always be a reason we should worry
We want more or we just want it all to stay secure
There will always be a reason for anxiety
To justify a never-ending misery
But if we slow down and look around, I think we'll see
God has made life long enough to learn to be happy
The greatest tragedy these eyes have seen
Is people waiting for tomorrow while they waste today
For by the time they see what life could be
It's all but slipped away
The greatest tragedy these eyes have seen
Is people waiting for tomorrow while they waste today
For they will never see what life could be
Till it's all but slipped away
It's all but slipped away
Credits
Writer(s): Nathan Landis Funk
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