[Intro] Well, you make a good friend Then you make another Then the new one meets the old one And they argue with each other That’s promising. [Verse 1] Make good friends and keep the old New ones bring roads you haven’t seen Old ones know where you have been One knows your dream One knows your doubt One remembers last time You “figured it out” “Brilliant!” “Why?” “That’s a submarine, friend— Why’s it in a tree that high?” GOOD QUESTION! I don’t know. GOOD ANSWER! [Refrain] Make good friends And keep ‘em near The kind who’ll laugh And still be here When dreams get big And facts get weird Make good friends And keep ’em near [Verse 2] Intuition’s funny It arrives without a map Fantasy does too, you know Which complicates all that “IT’S A VISION!” Maybe. “IT’S THE FUTURE!” Could be. “IT CAME AT THREE A.M.!” Did you eat? …No. Well— Test the wood! Check the rope! Ask the question! Kick the boat! Not too hard. See what floats See what bends See what happens When you show it to your friends! [Band] WELCOME! WE OFFER— THE BEST DISCOMFORT WE CAN! Have some tea! Take a chair! Put your favorite theory there! We’ll poke it here We’ll prod it there We’ll ask “why?” twice Because we care! “Could you prove that?” Oof. “What if you’re wrong?” Rude. “Did anybody ask for this?” …Excellent point. THE BEST DISCOMFORT WE CAN! [Verse 3] A friend who tells you everything You’d like to hear today Might help you keep a lovely dream That’s pointing the wrong way But a friend who says, “I don’t know, Let’s go and have a look,” Might save you fifteen years And half a dreadful book Bring the strange idea around Bring the thing they threw away Bring the “crap” nobody looked beneath— Can we say crap? Already did. Okay! Some crap hides a little truth Some crap is simply crap Wisdom isn’t loving all of it It’s looking before you scrap [Ark Detour] Someone’s building an ark outside Which raises several things: Why a boat? Where’s the flood? Why are there chickens in the mud? Who bought the lumber? Who made this chart? WHY ARE THE GOATS EATING THAT PART?! “I have a feeling there’s a storm!” Great. Let’s check the weather. …Fair. [All] TEST THE WOOD! CHECK THE SKY! DREAM IT BIG— BUT ASK IT WHY! Build the thing But measure twice Intuition isn’t frightened When reality gives advice! [Refrain] Make good friends And keep ‘em near The kind who’ll question And still be here When you got it right When you got it wrong When the whole darn boat Was three feet too long Make good friends And keep ’em near Truth gets easier With friends right here [Verse 4] Some folks dream Some folks build Some keep watch Some fields get tilled Some arrive with empty hands Too tired to begin Pull ’em up Make some room Let the tired ones in No speech required No debt today Sometimes somebody needs carrying A little of the way One step Two steps “Look at you!” Three steps Four steps “That’ll do!” Then the one we carried yesterday Sees someone struggling today No grand announcement No five-step plan Just reaches back and says— Here. Grab on. [Breakdown] Maybe the best friends weren’t the ones Who always thought we were right. Maybe they were the ones who stayed Long enough to help us find out. Maybe friendship isn’t finding people Who never make us uncomfortable. Maybe it’s finding people Who care enough to tell the truth… and stay. And maybe making good friends Isn’t only finding good people. Maybe… it’s becoming someone worth keeping. [Silence] Maaaaa. Who let the goat back in? THE GOAT’S A CUSTODIAN NOW! [Finale] MAKE GOOD FRIENDS! Keep the old! WELCOME THE READY! Young and old! TELL THE TRUTH! Check the sky! BUILD THE BOAT! Ask it why! If they fall— HELP ’EM STAND! If they’re dreaming— TEST THE PLAN! If they’re tired— GRAB THEIR HAND! Give ’em— THE BEST DISCOMFORT WE CAN! Did we make new friends? YES! Did we keep the old? MOSTLY! Mostly?! WE’RE WORKING ON IT! Did we test the dream? YES! Did it survive? PARTS OF IT! Good enough! NO, IT ISN’T! …See? That’s a good friend. [Final Refrain] Make good friends And keep ’em near Make a little room For truth in here Dream your dreams But test your plans Give each other The best discomfort you can Carry some Then help them stand Build together Hand to hand Make good friends And when you do— Be a good friend too. [False Ending] Okay. Who actually checked the weather? … [Thunder] Maaaaa. GET IN THE BOAT!
