I can see the city shining Far beyond the fading sky Silver rivers in the twilight Where the evening never dies I can hear the distant singing Carried on the gentle breeze Every note a faded memory Of a place that once knew me The lamps still burn Beyond the night And every road seems bathed in light But I am outside the city Standing where the shadows fall Watching lights beyond the horizon Hearing distant voices call The songs go on forever The stars still fill the sky And I remain outside the city Watching from the other side No walls crumble in the distance No leaves wither on the trees No tears stain the streets of beauty No winter rides upon the breeze Time itself seems gently broken Like a chain that lost its hold Every face reflects a sunrise Yet I chose another road The lamps still burn Beyond the night And every road still leads to light But I am outside the city Standing where the shadows fall Watching lights beyond the horizon Hearing distant voices call The songs go on forever The stars still fill the sky And I remain outside the city Watching from the other side No chains bind me No prison walls surround me No sentence echoes through the dark Only truth Mercy knocked a thousand times And I answered with tomorrow Grace stood waiting at my door And I chose another kingdom I built another throne I crowned another king And now I stand alone I am outside the city Yet I see its gates of pearl I can hear the songs of millions Rising through a healed world The river of life still sparkles Beneath the tree of grace And the Lamb walks there among them As they look upon His face The songs go on forever And joy fills every eye And I remain outside the city Watching from the other side Twelve gates before me Never closing Streets that shine like living gold The river flowing Bright as crystal Just as prophets long foretold The city of my Savior The home I would not choose New Jerusalem I remain outside ..... as I fade away
