The Ballad of Accounting

In the morning we built the city
In the afternoon, walked through its streets
Evening saw us leaving

We wandered through our days as if they would never end
All of us imagined we had endless time to speed
We hardly saw the crossroads, and small attention gave
To landmarks on the journey from the cradle to the grave
Cradle to the grave
Cradle to the grave

Did you learn to dream in the morning?
Abandoned dreams in the afternoon?
Wait without hope in the evening?
Did you stand there in the traces and let them feed you lies?
Did you trail along behind them wearing blinkers on your eyes?
Did you kiss the foot that kicked you?
Did you thank them for their scorn?
Did you ask for their forgiveness for the act of being born?
Act of being born
Act of being born

Did you alter the face of the city?
Make any change in the world you found?
Or did you observe all the warnings?
Did you read the trespass notices?
Did you keep off the grass?
Did you shuffle off the pavement, just to let your betters pass?
Did you learn to keep your mouth shut?
Were you seen and never heard?
Did you learn to be obedient, and jump to attaword?
Jump to attaword
Jump to attaword

Did you ever demand any answers?
The who and the what, and the reason why
Did you ever question the setup?
Did you stand aside and let them choose while you took second best?
Did you let them skim the cream off and then give to you the rest?
Did you settle for the shoddy, and did you think it right
To let them rob you right and left and never make a fight?
Never make a fight
Never make a fight

What did you learn in the morning?
How much did you know in the afternoon?
Were you content in the evening?
Did they teach you how to question when you were in the school?
Did the factory help you grow?
Were you the maker or the tool?
Did the place where you were living enrich your life? And then
Did you reach some understanding of all your fellow men?
All your fellow men
All your fellow men