Twenty Years And Change

Jim played piano in a band called Angry Witness
Out to fight the system in the fall of '81
Like all his friends, he felt peace, could behead for the asking
It was just a matter of convincing the old ones

They broke up on John and Yoko's anniversary
Went separate ways like most bands do
Same old frustration when they saw the times were not a-changing
Jim warmed up to the cold hard truth

Jim plays piano, a simple weekend warrior
At a cozy little mad spot just a few blocks from his home
He wakes up every morning, has breakfast with his children
Sweet wife smiling at him, thinks how good my life's become

This past Thursday was the 14th anniversary
Owned their own sweet home since '92
Monday through Friday he sells those new lots off the highway
Read from the door, red, white and blue

Sometimes he wonders how did one man get so lucky
And what happened to his anger and his vow to heal the world
In just over two decades he has watched the earth revolving
Now just simple problem solving, twenty years and change

How long did I love you before my heart stopped breaking?
Since the night I stood there shaking when you ran out of my life
Now I think it's time I told you, even if you show no interest
How I came to feel forgiveness and finally set things right

It was twenty years, two months and five days this December
You wiped your shoes off on my heart
Far too realistic to betray a kid so idealistic
Flames of faith put out in the dark

Then one cold morning, a real live frosty Friday
I turned to the pain beside me and I realized it was gone
I tore up all your pictures, never thinking you might find me
Time to put that junk behind me and wonder why it took so long

Now here you stand on what would be our anniversary
Telling me how tough life's been on you
No satisfaction for I realized we've lost all attraction
Moving on is all that's left to do

God, I feel so foolish for what seemed so devastating
And the love I had for hating was a tragic waste of time
Somehow I feel like laughing with that free weight lifted from me
Oh, how wisdom does become me, twenty years and change