ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA:   Time

Prologue

Just on the border of your waking mind
There lies... Another time
Where darkness & light are one
And as you tread the halls of sanity
You feel so glad to be
Unable to go beyond
I have a message
From another time...

Twilight

The visions dancing in my mind
The early dawn, the shades of time
Twilight crawling through my windowpane
Am I awake or do I dream?
The strangest pictures I have seen
Night is day and twilight's gone away

With your head held high and your scarlet lies
You came down to me from the open skies
It's either real or it's a dream
There's nothing that is in between...

Chorus:
Twilight, I only meant to stay awhile
Twilight, I gave you time to steal my mind
Away from me.

Across the night I saw your face
You disappeared without a trace
You brought me here, but can you take me back?
Inside the image of your light
That now is day and once was night
You lead me here and then you go away.

You brought me here, but can you take me back again?

With your head held high and your scarlet lies
You came down to me from the open skies

Twilight, I only meant to stay awhile
Twilight, I only meant to stay awhile
Twilight, Twilight, Twilight, Twilight.

Yours Truly 2095

2095, 2095, 2095, 2095
I love you, sincerely
Yours truly, yours truly...

I sent a message to another time
But as the days unwind, this I just can't believe
I sent a note across another plane
Maybe it's all a game, but this I just can't conceive.

Can you hear me?

I drive the very latest hovercar
I don't know where you are
But I miss you so much till then
I met someone who looks a lot like you
She does the things you do
But she is an IBM.

2095, 2095, 2095, 2095
I love you, sincerely
Yours truly, yours truly...

She's only programmed to be very nice
But she's as cold as ice
Whenever I get too near
She tells me that she likes me very much
But when I try to touch
She makes it all too clear.

She is the latest in technology
Almost mythology
But she has a heart of stone
She has an I.Q. of 1001
She has a jumpsuit on
And she's also a telephone.

2095, 2095, 2095, 2095
I love you, sincerely
Yours truly, yours truly...

Chorus:
Is that what you want? (Is it what you want?)
Is it what you really want? (Is it what you really want?)
Is that what you want? (Is it what you want?)
Is it what you really want?

I realize that it must seem so strange
That time has rearranged
But time has the final word
She knows I think of you, she reads my mind
She tries to be unkind
She knows nothing of our world

Although her memory banks overflow
No one would ever know
For all she says: 'Is that what you want?'
Maybe one day I'll feel her cold embrace
And kiss her interface
'Til then, I'll leave her alone.

I love you, sincerely
Yours truly, yours truly...

'Is that what you want?'

Ticket To The Moon

Remember the good old 1980s?
When things were so uncomplicated?
I wish I could go back there again
And everything could be the same.

I've got a ticket to the moon
I'll be leaving here any day soon
Yeah, I've got a ticket to the moon
But I'd rather see the sunrise in your eyes.

Got a ticket to the moon
I'll be rising high above the earth so soon
And the tears I cry might turn into the rain
That gently falls upon your window
You'll never know.

Fly, fly through a troubled sky
Up to a new world shining bright, oh, oh.

Flying high above
Soaring madly through the mysteries that come
Wondering sadly if the ways that led me here
Could turn around and I would see you there
Standing there (and I would see you there, waiting...)

Ticket to the moon
Flight leaves here today from Satellite Two
As the minutes go by, what should I do?
I paid the fare, what more can I say?
It's just one way

The Way Life's Meant To Be

Well, I came a long way to be here today
And I left you so long on this avenue
And here I stand in the strangest land
Not knowing what to say or do
As I gaze around at these strangers in town
I guess the only stranger is me
And I wonder (yes, I wonder)
Yes, I wonder (oh, I wonder)
Is this the way life's meant to be?

Although it's only a day since I was taken away
And left standing here looking in wonder
(It's your life, it's your life)
Ah, the ground at my feet, maybe it's just the old street
But everything that I know lies under
(It's your life, it's your life)
And when I see what they've done
To this place that was home
Shame is all that I feel
Oh, and I wonder
Yes, I wonder
Is this the way life's meant to be?

Too late, too late to cry
The people say
Too late for you, too late for me
You've come so far, now you know everything my friend
Look and see the wonders of our world...

And I wonder
Yes, I wonder
Is this the way life's meant to be?

As I wander around this wreck of a town
Where people never speak aloud
With its ivory towers and its plastic flowers
I wish I was back in 1981
Just to see your face instead of this place
Now I know what you mean to me
And I wonder
Yes, I wonder
Is this the way life's meant to be?

And I wonder
Yes, I wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder
Is this the way life's meant to be?
Oh, I wonder
Oh, I wonder, wonder, wonder
Is this the way life's meant to be?
Oh, is this the way life's meant to be?
Mmmmm, is this the way life's meant to be?
I wanna know now
Is this the way life's meant to be?

Another Heart Breaks (instrumental)

Rain Is Falling

(Rain rain, go away, come again another day)

Early in the morning
The sun was up and the sky was very blue
Without a warning
As I looked out, my thoughts returned to you.
A noise in the city made the children run
And hide themselves away
And thunder boomed and lightning filled the sky.

Looking from this window
A thousand rivers running past my door
Standing on an island
Looking for someone upon the shore
I cane see it very clearly, nothing's really changed
Then lightning strikes across an empty sky.

Chorus:
Oh, the rain is falling
Will it wash away the lonely tears?

(It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring)

With their brand new time transporter
They'll think maybe I fought to get away
But with all their great inventions
And all their good intentions, here I stay
Down on the corner where the sun had shone
The people gathered round
Then scattered as the raindrops hit the ground.

From The End Of The World

Oh you, you're so hard to get to
Oh you, you don't wanna play
You were no better before
I sent a letter before
I sent a dream to last night
From the end of the world.

Oh you, you keep me hanging round & round & round & round
Oh you, look at the trouble I've found
You were no better before
I sent a letter before
I sent a dream to you last night
From the end of the world.

I saw you last night, but you couldn't answer
You were a lonely little sidewalk dancer
When I woke up I could not stand it
You were gone, but I got to hand it to you.

Dream to you last night
From the end of the world.

Oh please, if this is a game I wish someone would win
Please, just let her fly to be upon the wind
You were no better before
I sent a letter before
I sent a dream to you baby last night
From the end of the world.

You were no better before
I sent a letter before
I sent a dream to you baby last night
From the end of the world.

I sent a dream to you baby, last night
From the end of the world
I sent a dream to you, babe
From the end of the world.

I sent a dream...
To you baby...
From the end of the world.

The Lights Go Down

One day
I gotta get out of here
I gotta make everything clear
I gotta see you, oh, oh.

I know
The way that I feel is wrong, so wrong
But I gotta carry on
When you ain't around.

Chorus:
I believe things are going wrong
And the night goes on and on
All your dreams have flown away
And the sun won't shine today.
The lights go down (I want you, baby)
The lights go down (I need you, baby)
The lights go down
And there's no one around.

I know
You're waiting so close to me
But how will you ever see
As time rolls away?

Lonely
But trying to be so proud
And just as I turn around
The lights go down.

Here Is The News

Here is the news
Coming to you every hour on the hour
(Here is the news)
The weather's fine but there may be a meteor shower.

Here is the news
A cure's been found for good old rocket lag
(Here is the news)
Someone left their life behind in a plastic bag.

'Spaceworkers dispute in London today.
A lightning strike by air shuttle officers
led to over 2,000 passengers being held up
for up to 10 hours to board flights...'

'Ten Eurotechnicians were today sentenced
by the justice computer to be banished for life
to the prison satellite Penal One...'

Here is the news
Another action filled adventure
(Here is the news)
All the worst from the world convention.

Here is the news (the very latest)


('... shares of Roboko Development are now climbing...')
('... a very great friend of mine...')
('... our regular scheduled programs...')
('... the latest report from the people down there...')
('... a tiny little detail...')
('... I'd like to say hello to everybody...')

Here is the news
I wanna go home, I want my baby back
(Here is the news)
I wanna go back!

Here is the news
Somebody has broken out of Satellite Two
(Here is the news....)
Look very carefully, it may be you, you, you, you...

('... the energy counsel today announced...')
('... the archbishop is waving to the crowds...')
('... the World Broadcasting Authority today announced...')
('... I think that's going to be alright, you'll have to wait & see...')
('... I'll call you back later...')

Here is the news

21st Century Man

A penny in your pocket
Suitcase in your hand
They won't get you very far
Now you're a 21st century man.

Fly across the city
Rise above the land
You can do 'most anything
Now you're a 21st century man.

Though you ride on the wheels of tomorrow
You still wander the fields of your sorrow
What will it bring?

One day you're a hero
Next day you're a clown
There's nothing that is in between
Now you're a 21st century man.

You should be so happy
You should be so glad
So why are you so lonely
You 21st century man?

You stepped out of a dream
Believing everything was gone
Return with what you've learned
They'll kiss the ground you walk upon.

Things ain't how you thought they were
Nothing have you planned
So pick up your penny and your suitcase
You're not a 21st century man.

Though you ride on the wheels of tomorrow
You still wander the fields of your sorrow
Tomorrow, 21st century man
21st century man
21st century man...

Hold On Tight

Hold on tight to your dream
Hold on tight to your dream
When you see your ship go sailing
When you feel your heart is breaking
Hold tight to your dream.

It's a long time to be gone
Time just rolls on and on
When you need a shoulder to cry on
When you get so sick of trying
Just hold tight to your dream

Chorus:
When you get so down that you can't get up
And you want so much but you're all out of luck
When you're so downhearted and misunderstood
Just over & over & over you could

Accroche-toi à ton rêve
Accroche-toi à ton rêve
Quand tu vois ton bateau partir
Quand tu sens ton coeur se briser
Accroche-toi à ton rêve.

Hold on tight to your dream
Hold on tight to your dream
When you see the shadows falling
When you hear that cold wind calling
Hold on tight to your dream.

Oh, yeah
Hold on tight to your dream
Yeah, hold on tight...
To your dream.

Epilogue

You should be so happy
You should be so glad
21st century man.

Though you ride on the wheels of tomorrow
You still wander the fields of your sorrow.

Time, time, time, time...