You take the words they hand down the line You follow the leaders and wait for the sign A million rituals to cure the pain But the sky is empty and there is no rain Hope is a shelter when the wind is cold But it will not buy what the priests have sold [Chorus] One looked inside to the root of the mind One looked out at the blind leading blind Centuries apart but the vision is clear You do not find truth in the shadow of fear The prince and the critic, they both understood The fire only burns when you gather the wood [Verse 2] They want obedience and closed up eyes A comforting story of beautiful lies Faith is human, yeah we know it is true But it will not show what is in front of you Authority sits on a paper throne If you want the real thing you walk it alone [Chorus] One looked inside to the root of the mind One looked out at the blind leading blind Centuries apart but the vision is clear You do not find truth in the shadow of fear The prince and the critic, they both understood The fire only burns when you gather the wood [Bridge] Do not repeat it! Do not obey! Watch how the suffering washes away! Observation! Clarity! Look through the smoke of the ceremony! Meaning is made! Meaning is earned! [Outro] The ritual is dead. The lesson is learned. We are done here. ©2026 Trevor Swistchew and The Shady River Bard. All rights reserved.
