The New Wild West

Jewel

You see the ghosts of the buffalo 
Moving both fierce and slow 
Like glittering prophesies 
On the edge of the horizon 

As you drive glittering highways 
And beaten-up by-ways 
That straddle and girdle 
A great and many-faced nation 

There are lambs in the ghettos 
Who worship their Gapettos 
Believing in, though never seeing 
The strings they think bind them 

So you write to our congressmen 
With bleeding pens 
Of the sorrow within 
And in return they just send 
Tickets to the latest Tom Hanks show 

Welcome to the new wild west 
Each man for himself 
A nation of civilized steeples 
And lonely people 
Welcome to the new wild west 

There are so many fractions 
And cue-card reactions 
It's hard to keep clear 
The possibilities here 
'Cause there's no force to unite them 

Privilege has ruled for thousands of years 
Wars have been fought with bibles and tears 
Yet liberation can't deny the temptation 
And soon becomes the oppressor 

Show me a leader who's fit to lead 
Who don't sew his seed in anything 
Wounded enough to breed 
Because after all what fun is power 
If you can't act like a rock star? 

Welcome to the new wild west 
Each man for himself 
A nation of civilized steeples 
And lonely people 
Welcome to the new wild west 

See me, I've been cruel 
I've been petty and unkind 
But I know my own mind 
And since it seems clear 
There's no one leading us here 
The only thing left it appears 
Is to task ourselves to be better each time 
Then those before us 

We'll be an army of theives 
Of self-freed slaves 
Of mild-mannered maids 
We'll fight with whispers and blades 
So get ready, a new day is dawning 

Welcome to the new wild west 
Each man for himself 
A nation of civilized steeples 
And lonely people 
Welcome to the new wild west