[Verse 1] I dreamed in color, saw it plain, Wheat stood tall in a river of grain, Seven fat years like a carnival wheel, Seven lean comin’ sharp as steel. Pharaoh woke with a shiver in his hand, I spoke of dust and promised land, Said store it up while the rivers run, ‘Cause hunger comes for everyone. [Verse 2] They put a ring on my travel-worn hand, From prison stone to command of the land, Grain piled high like a golden wall, Every city heard the warning call. I walked the halls where the banners fly, Still heard chains when the wind went by, Every dream got a shadow side, Every throne got a place to hide. [Chorus] How long, how long ‘til the morning breaks? How long ‘til the good Lord shakes The dust from my eyes, the ache from my song, How long, Lord, how long? [Verse 3] Then famine rolled like a busted drum, Empty bowls and the mouths go numb, I saw my brothers in a stranger’s line, Same hard eyes, different time. They bowed their heads, didn’t know my face, I felt the years in that quiet space, Mercy wrestled with the knife of truth, Old wounds sing like a broken youth. [Verse 4] I spoke in riddles, I weighed their grain, Put silver back just to stir the pain, Sent ‘em home with a warning sign, “Bring that youngest brother of mine.” Behind my smile was a trembling plea, Do they still remember me? Or am I just a ghost they made Back when love got sold and betrayed? [Chorus] How long, how long ‘til the light comes through? How long ‘til I say what’s true? I been waitin’ on a crooked road, How long, Lord, how long? [Bridge] But I trusted the arc of the long, slow turn, Every scar’s got a lesson to learn, You hide your face, but I still believe There’s bread in the breaking, hope in the leave. Even when the night won’t bend, Joy’s gonna rise at the bitter end. [Verse 5] I looked at the sky through palace bars, Same old moon, same faithful stars, Thought about pits and borrowed names, How love survives the longest flames. If sorrow writes in a stranger’s hand, Grace still knows where the ink will land, Every tear got a reason why, Even the ones we never cry. [Final Chorus] How long, how long ‘til the heart forgives? How long ‘til the past loosens its grip? I’ll sing your mercy all my days long, No matter how long, no matter how long. [Outro] So I’ll wait in the silence, I’ll stand in the grain, I’ll hold my hope like a prayer in the rain, Even when the answer feels gone, I’ll keep on singin’ the same old song.
