[Spoken Intro] One last question, God. And I realize I've asked quite a few. Creation. Death. Free will. The meaning of existence. But this one feels unnecessarily cruel. Why... only twenty-four hours? [Verse 1] Eight hours sleeping If you're lucky Nine or ten are spent at work There's the traffic There's the dishes There's the thing I said I'd fix There's the family There's the dinner There's the bills I haven't paid And somewhere in this lovely schedule I'm supposed to have a day? [Chorus] Why only twenty-four? Could You not have given more? I've got forty things to finish And another twenty-four I need time to work Time to sleep Time for everyone I keep And maybe just an hour where nobody needs anything from me I know You had Your reasons But I'm asking anyway... Why only twenty-four hours in a day? [Verse 2] I should exercise each morning I should read before I sleep Spend more time with all my children Call the people I should keep Eat much better Learn a language Fix the closet Clean the car Meditate and find some silence Apparently... before tomorrow. [Spoken] I've reviewed the schedule. There appears to be a mathematical problem. [Verse 3] Everyone says, "Make some time" Where exactly is it made? Is there somewhere selling hours? Can I finance an extra day? Because I'd like to sit in silence Without somewhere else to be Not a meeting Not an errand Just a little time with me [Chorus] Why only twenty-four? Could You not have given more? There's always one more obligation Waiting patiently outside the door Time to work Time to play Time to give my life away But where's the little empty space to think about the day? I know You had Your reasons But I'm asking anyway... Why only twenty-four hours in a day? [Bridge] Then again... If You gave us twenty-eight We'd probably fill up twenty-nine If You gave us thirty-six We'd complain we needed time We'd add another meeting Another show Another task Maybe twenty-four's not really the question I should ask Maybe I don't need more hours Maybe I need less to do [Spoken] That's... considerably less convenient. [Verse 4] Maybe silence isn't wasted Maybe stillness has a place Maybe every empty moment Doesn't need to join the race Maybe sitting with my family Doesn't interrupt my day Maybe that was part of living not the thing that got in the way Maybe time was never promised For completing every chore Maybe life is choosing carefully what deserves the twenty-four [Final Chorus] So thank You for the twenty-four I suppose I don't need more I won't finish every little thing I thought my life was for Time to work Time to sleep Time for those I want to keep And maybe I'll protect a little silence just for me Because someday I'll be asking for just one more ordinary day And twenty-four hours might suddenly seem like more than enough that day. [Outro] One last question, God. Why only twenty-four hours? [Pause] Actually... don't answer that. I already know what I'd do with another six. Work more. Buy more. Schedule more. Complain more. [Pause] Twenty-four it is. But tomorrow... could we maybe skip the traffic?
