The red hot sun burns up the hill The winter's bride, the summer's king I tramp these acres and I feel Once upon a time Then it seemed that everything You saw and touched and felt was real You turned the tap and you turned the wheel Breathing free
Now you search the open evening sky Trace the memory in your eyes For the prophet's hard rain and the deluge Lie in tears around your door Once there were trees and livestock here A mother's love, the warnings clear But you chose to turn away from fear Breathing free
Now there's a faceless cross on a distant hill A wasted voice, a silent scream Where the lovers love and the dreamers dream You stand and dream alone You took your sacrifice to the gods of war Traded your children's lives for a mess of gold And you beat your ploughshares into swords Breathing free
Once in a lifetime You live and love Once in a lifetime You die Once in a lifetime The sun goes down Protect and survive