The lyrics are definitely sad and full of regret: Gaze at the sky
And picture a memory
Of days in your life
You knew what it meant to be happy and free
With time on your side
Remember your daddy
When no one was wiser
Your ma used to say
That you would go further than he ever could
With time on your side
Think of a boy with the stars in his eye
Longing to reach them but frightened to try
Sadly, you'd say, someday, someday
But day after day
The show must go on
And time slipped away
Before you could build any castles in spain
The chance had gone by
With nothing to say
And no one to say it to
Nothing has changed
You've still got it all to do
Surely you know
The chance has gone by
Think of a boy with the stars in his eye
Longing to reach them but frightened to try
Sadly, you'd say, someday, someday
But, day after day
The show must go on
And you gaze at the sky
And picture a memory of days in your life
With time on your side
With time on your side
(day after day the show must go on)
With time on your side
(day after day the show must go on)
I'm going to paste in some lyrics that I'll bet few of you have ever heard - I would be interested to know if you think it stands on its own as a poem - I can no longer read it without hearing the song. Circus Of Heaven (Jon Anderson) The day the Circus of Heaven came in to town Local folks lined the streets in a Midwestern town Waiting anxiously for the parade to begin all around On the very last day A unicorn headed the mystical way Surrounded by what seemed a thousand golden angels at play Behind were Centaurs, elves, bright fairies all in colours of jade On the very final day For what seemed only just a moment in time Seven solemn flying silvered regal horses rode by Seven golden chariots in tow, a wonder to behold The Seven Lords of the Mountains of Time There then arose where nothing really stood there before A giant tent rising one thousand feet high frofrom the floor Towns people flocked inside with their eyes all amazed To greet the Seventh Lord of the seventh age A fanfare rang out in an incredible sound Bringing out the strangest visions perfect harmony round Any dreams he asked would they like to have seen From historical or mythical scenes Then there above their heads just as vivid as life Each vision transported multitudes inventing light Grecian galleons, the sack of Troy, to the Gardens of Babylon A play of millions roared along The gigantic dreams of Alexander the Great Civil wars where fbrothers fought and killed their friendship with hate All seen by Zeus performing scenes in the magical way The day the circus came to town Outside great animals as tame as the trees Angels high in starlight dancing streets Turning their colours with indigo and gold Dropping violet, red and emerald snow As the circus finally changed its invisible course A new world to be found On the dreamy ground we walked upon I turned to my son and said "Was that something beautiful, amazing, wonderful, extraordinary beautiful?" "Oh! It was OK!! But there were no clowns, no tigers, lions or bears, no
candi-floss, toffee apples, no clowns."
Now I want to hear the song! I know what you mean though, I have had to type out my own lyrics for various reasons in the past and I'm never sure how they read because I can never separate them from melody. It's impossible.
The final line is delivered by Jon Anderson's son.