friends as one, all stand aligned
Although their taxis came too late
There was a rush along the Fulham Road
There was a hush in the passion play

Such a sense of glowing in the aftermath
Ripe with rich attainments all imagined
Sad misdeeds in disarray, the sore thumb screams aloud
Echoing out of the passion play

All the old familiar choruses come crowding in a different key
Melodies decaying in sweet dissonance
There was a rush along the Fulham Road
Into the ever-passion play

And who comes here to wish me well?
A sweetly scented angel fell
She laid her head upon my disbelief
And bathed me with her ever-smile

And with a howl across the sand
I go escorted by a band
Of gentlemen in leather bound
No one but someone to be found

4) Re-assuring tune

(Anderson)

Instrumental part

5) Memory bank

(Anderson)

All along the icy wastes
There are faces smiling in the gloom
Roll up, roll down, feeling unwound?
Step into the viewing room

The cameras were all around
We've got you taped, you're in the play
Here's your I.D.
Ideal for identifying one and all

Invest your life in the memory bank
Our's the interest and we thank you
The ice cream lady wets her drawers
To see you in the passion play

Take the prize for instant pleasure
Captain of the cricket team
Public speaking in all weathers
A knighthood from a queen

6) Best friends

(Anderson)

All of your best friends telephones
Never cooled from the heat of your hand
From your hand...

There's a line in a front page story
Thirteen horses that also ran
Also ran...

Climb in your old umbrella
Does it have a nasty tear in the dome?
In the dome...

But the rain only gets in sometimes
And the sun never leaves you alone
You alone...

You alone...
You alone...
You alone...

7) Critique oblique

(Anderson)

Lover of the black and white, it's your first night
The passion play goes all the way, spoils your insight
Tell me, how the baby's made? How the lady's laid?
Why the old dog howls in sadness?

"And your little sister's immaculate virginity wings away
On the bony shoulders of a young horse named George
Who stole surreptitiously into her geography revision..."

The examining body examined her body

Actor of the low-high Q, let's hear your view
Peek at the lines upon your sleeves since your memory won't do
Tell me, how the baby's graded? How the lady's faded?
Why the old dogs howl with madness?

All of this and some of that's
The only way to skin the cat
And now you've lost a skin or two
You're for us and we're for you

The dressing room is right behind
We've got you taped, you're in the play

How does it feel to be in the play?
How does it feel to play the play?
How does it feel to be the play?

Man of passion, rise again! We won't cross you out
For we do love you like a son, of that there's no doubt
Tell us, is it you who are here for our good cheer?
Or are we here for the glory? For the story?

For the gory satisfaction
Of telling you how absolutely awful you really are?

8) Forest dance, No 1

(Anderson)

There was a rush along the Fulham Road
There was a hush in the passion play

9) The story of the hare who lost his spectacles

(Hammond/Evans/Anderson)

This is the story of the hare who lost his spectacles!

Owl loved to rest quietly whilst no one was watching
Sitting on a fence one day, he was surprised when suddenly a kangaroo ran close by
Now this may not seem strange but when owl overheard kangaroo whisper to no one in particular: "The hare has lost his spectacles!"
Well, he began to wonder

Presently, the moon appeared from behind a cloud and there, lying on the grass, was hare
In the stream that flowed by the grass a newt
And sitting astride a twig of a bush a bee

Ostensibly motionless, the hare was trembling with excitement
For without his spectacles he appeared completely helpless
Where were his spectacles? Could someone have stolen them?
Had he mislaid them? What was he to do?

Bee wanted to help and thinking he had the answer began:
"You probably ate them thinking they were a carrot!"
"No!" interrupted owl, who was wise
"I have good eye-sight, insight and foresight
How could an intelligent hare make such a silly mistake?"
But all this time, owl had been sitting on the fence, scowling!

A kangaroo were hopping mad at this sort of talk
She thought herself far superior in intelligence to the others
She was their leader, their guru
She had the answer: "Hare, you must go in search of the optician!"

But then she realized that hare was completely helpless without his spectacles
And so, Kangaroo loudly proclaimed: "I can't send hare in search of anything!"
"You can guru, you can!" shouted Newt
"You can send him with owl!"
But owl had gone to sleep
Newt knew too much to be stopped by so small a problem
"You can take him in your pouch!"
But alas, hare was much too big to fit into kangaroo's pouch

All this time, it had been quite plain to hare that the others knew nothing about spectacles

As for all their tempting ideas, well, hare didn't care
The lost spectacles were his own affair
And after all, hare did have a spare a-pair
A-pair!

10) Forest dance, No 2

(Anderson)

Instrumental part

11) Foot of our stairs

(Anderson)

We sleep by the ever bright hole in the door
Eat in the corner, talk to the floor
Cheating the spiders who come to say "Please!"
Politely they bend at the knees

Well, I'll go to the foot of our stairs

Old gentlemen talk of when they were young
Of ladies lost, of erring sons
Lace covered dandies revel with friends
Pure as the truth tied at both ends

Well, I'll go to the foot of our stairs

Scented cathedral, spire pointed down
We pray for souls in Kentish Town
A delicate hush, the gods floating by
Wishing us well, pie in the sky

God of ages! Lord of time!
Mine is the right to be wrong

Well, I'll go to the foot of our stairs

Jack rabbit mister spawn a new breed
Of love hungry pilgrims, no bodies to feed
Show me a good man and I'll show you the door
The last hymn is sung and the devil cries "More!"

12) Overseer overture

(Anderson)

Well, I'm all for leaving and that being done
I've put in a request to take up my turn
In that forsaken paradise that calls itself "Hell"
Where no one has nothing and nothing is well

Meaning fool, pick up thy bed
And rise up from your gloom smiling
Give me your hate
And do as the loving heathen do

Colours I've none
Dark or light, red, white or blue
Cold is my touch, freezing
Summoned by name, I am the overseer over you

Given this command
To watch over our miserable sphere
Fallen from grace, called on to bring sun or rain
Occasional corn from my oversight grew

Fell with mine angels from a far better place
Offering services for the saving of face
Now you're here, you may as well admire
All whom living has retired from the benign reconciliation

Legends were born surrounding mysterious lights
Seen in the sky flashing
I just lit a fag then took my leave
In the blink of an eye

Passionate play
Join round the maypole in dance
Primitive rite wrongly
Summoned by name, I am the overseer over you

13) Flight from Lucifer

(Anderson)

Flee the icy Lucifer
Oh, he's an awful fellow!
What a mistake!
I didn't take a feather from his pillow

Here's the everlasting rub
Neither am I good or bad
I'd give up my halo for a horn
And the horn for the hat I once had

I'm only breathing
There's life on my ceiling
The flies there are sleeping quietly

Twist my right arm in the dark
I would give two or three
For one of those days that never made
Impressions on the old score

I would gladly be a dog
Barking up the wrong tree
Everyone's saved, we're in the grave
See you there for afternoon tea

Time for awaking
The tea lady's making
A brew-up and baking new bread

Pick me up at half past none
There's not a moment to lose
There is the train on which I came
On the platform are my old shoes

Station master rings his bell
Whistles blow and flags wave
A little of what you fancy does you good
Or so it should...

I thank everybody for making me welcome
I'd stay but my wings have just dropped off...

14) 10.08 to Paddington

(Anderson)

Instrumental part

15) Magus Pedre

(Anderson)

Hail son of kings! Make the ever-dying sign
Cross your fingers in the sky for those about to be
There am I, waiting along the sand
Cast your sweet spell upon the land and sea

Magus Perde, take your hand from off the chain
Loose a wish to still the rain, the storm about to be
Here am I, voyager into life
Tough are the soles that tread the knife's edge

Break the circle, stretch the line
Call upon the devil
Bring the gods, the gods own fire
In the conflict revel

The passengers upon the ferry crossing, waiting to be born
Renew the pledge of life's long song, rise to the reveille horn
Animals queueing at the gate that stands upon the shore
Breathe the ever-burning fire that guards the ever-door

Man, son of man! Buy the flame of ever-life
Yours to breathe and breath the pain of living, living be!
Here am I! Roll the stone away
From the dark into ever-day

16) Epilogue

(Anderson)

There was a rush along the Fulham Road
Into the ever-passion play