Just a Wall--Lyrics
By David Roth
INSTRUMENTAL
VERSE There's a picture of a wall across the TV screen. There are people milling 'round on either side. They’ve been waiting for the border to come tumbling down, Some for years, and others all their lives.
VERSE Then the guards receive their orders and the keys are turned. Rusty gates swing slowly open wide. And long forgotten dreams and aspirations are awoken, And take to foot to reach the other side.
CHORUS It's just a wall, but it's kept them in for all this time, Just a wall, but either side is prison. Keep them in or lock them out, it's very much the same. But now the times have changed and changing has begun. It's just a wall and now the wall must come undone.
VERSE There's a fence between my next door neighbor's house and mine. There are two big dogs on leashes and in chains. There are curtains pulled and doorways closed and secrets kept, And iron bars on many window panes.
VERSE And these neighbors barely manage "how you doin'?” And the boundaries of the houses are clearly drawn. But there's a thicker line that's carried in the air and no one sees it, And there's little can be done until it's gone.
CHORUS It's just a wall, but it's kept them in for all this time, Just a wall, a wall of isolation. Now you see it, now you don't, it's very much the same, But now the times have changed and changing has begun. It's just a wall and now the wall must come undone.
INSTRUMENTAL
VERSE There's a picture of a wall inside the mirror, A reflection of the hostages inside. There's a child, there's a victim, there's a fool and there's a friend, And the bars are reinforced with fear and pride.
VERSE But the wall I built around this heart protected me. It was constructed out of innocence and pain. And now it's taking every ounce of strength I have to pull it down, But I'm determined that it won't be built again.
CHORUS It's just a wall, but it's kept me in for all this time, Just a wall, but its usefulness is ended. Change the world or change the mind, it's very much the same’ Nothing changes 'til we're changing one by one, And when we do is when the walls will come undone.
CODA Every battle will be won. Every wall will come undone.
© 1990 David Roth
INSTRUMENTAL
VERSE There's a picture of a wall across the TV screen. There are people milling 'round on either side. They’ve been waiting for the border to come tumbling down, Some for years, and others all their lives.
VERSE Then the guards receive their orders and the keys are turned. Rusty gates swing slowly open wide. And long forgotten dreams and aspirations are awoken, And take to foot to reach the other side.
CHORUS It's just a wall, but it's kept them in for all this time, Just a wall, but either side is prison. Keep them in or lock them out, it's very much the same. But now the times have changed and changing has begun. It's just a wall and now the wall must come undone.
VERSE There's a fence between my next door neighbor's house and mine. There are two big dogs on leashes and in chains. There are curtains pulled and doorways closed and secrets kept, And iron bars on many window panes.
VERSE And these neighbors barely manage "how you doin'?” And the boundaries of the houses are clearly drawn. But there's a thicker line that's carried in the air and no one sees it, And there's little can be done until it's gone.
CHORUS It's just a wall, but it's kept them in for all this time, Just a wall, a wall of isolation. Now you see it, now you don't, it's very much the same, But now the times have changed and changing has begun. It's just a wall and now the wall must come undone.
INSTRUMENTAL
VERSE There's a picture of a wall inside the mirror, A reflection of the hostages inside. There's a child, there's a victim, there's a fool and there's a friend, And the bars are reinforced with fear and pride.
VERSE But the wall I built around this heart protected me. It was constructed out of innocence and pain. And now it's taking every ounce of strength I have to pull it down, But I'm determined that it won't be built again.
CHORUS It's just a wall, but it's kept me in for all this time, Just a wall, but its usefulness is ended. Change the world or change the mind, it's very much the same’ Nothing changes 'til we're changing one by one, And when we do is when the walls will come undone.
CODA Every battle will be won. Every wall will come undone.
© 1990 David Roth
