Broken Dreams of Uplift

[bnewman]

The march of civilization celebrated in "Uplift" hasn't been a win for everyone. This song, which can be sung against "Uplift", provides a counterpoint. But mostly, one day I got "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" stuck in my head and realized it had the same chords as "Uplift".

lyrics by Benjamin Newman

ttto: "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Green Day

after (and may be sung against) "Uplift" by Andy Eigel

listen to this song

/ E5 G D A / / / E5 G D B7 /

 

We walk a lonely road, the only one that we have ever known

Rising from the darkness since the dawning of the Age of Stone

Learn to make the tools, learn to change the rules and change the world

And as our path's unfurled we'll go together, but we'll walk alone

 

Time to plant the seed to feed the millions, billions yet to come

Invention matching need, but greed turns food for all to wealth for some

Towns and cities spread to empire over, power over all

We'll hide behind our walls, and we'll grow together, but we'll walk alone

 

Coal to heat the steam to fuel the dream the engine's screaming sound

Feeding the machine, our claws of steel rip fire from the ground

The lightning does our will, so onward still and never count the cost

Can't see what's been lost for what we've found,

but, where we're bound, we'll walk a—

 

/ C G D A / / / C G B7 - /

 

Crawl out of the mud, ongoing but slow

For the path that is easy ain't the one that lets us grow

Climb the ladder rung by rung and never looking back

On this track we walk alone

 

This is our only home, the only sacred ground we've ever known

Each other world we've seen is deadly hot or cold and dry as bone

If we mess this one up, I don't see how we'll get another chance

Time to rejoin the dance, 'cause we are still part of life and we're not alone!

 

Hands build the fire, make the tools, plant the grain

Songs teach the tribe, change the rules, begin again...