Artist: Van Der Graaf Generator

Submitted by Annie.

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Lemmings (Including COG)

I stood alone upon the highest cliff-top,
looked down, around, and all that I could see
were those that I would dearly love to share with
crashing on quite blindly to the sea...
I tried to ask what game this was,
but knew I might not play it:
the voice, as one, as no-one, came to me...

'We have looked upon the heroes
and they are found wanting;
we have looked hard across the land,
but we can see no dawn;
we have now dared to sear the sky,
but we are still bleeding;
we are drawing near to the cliffs,
now we can hear the call.

The clouds are piled in mountain-shapes,
there is no escape except to go forward.
Don't ask us for an answer now,
it's far too late to bow to that convention.
What course is there left but to die?

We have looked upon the High Kings,
found them less than mortals:
their names are dust before the just
march of our young, new law.
Minds stumbling strong, we hurtle on
into the dark portal;
No-one can halt our final vault
into the unknown maw.

And as the Elders beat their brows
they know that it's really far
too late now to stop us.
For if the sky is seeded death
what is the point in catching breath? - Expel it.
What cause is there left but to die
in searching of something we're not quite sure of?

What cause is there left but to die?

... I really don't know why ...

I know our ends may be soon
but why do you make them sooner?
Time may finally prove
only the living move her and
no life lies in the quicksand.

Yes, I know it's
Out of control, out of control:
Greasy machinery slides on the rails,
Young minds and bodies on steel spokes impaled...
Cogs tearing bones, cogs tearing bones;
Iron-throated monsters are forcing the screams,
Mind and machinery box-press the dreams...

... but there still is time ...

Cowards are they who run today,
the fight is beginning...
no war with knives, fight with our lives,
lemmings can teach nothing;
death offers no hope, we must grope
for the unknown answer:
unite our blood, abate the flood,
avert the disaster...

There's other ways than screaming in the mob:
that makes us merely cogs of hatred.
Look to the why and where we are,
look to yourselves and the stars and in the end
What choice is there left but to live
in the hope of saving
our children's children's little ones?

What choice is there left but to live?
to save the little ones?

What choice is there left but to try?

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Other Songs by this Artist

1. A Place To Survive
2. A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers
3. A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers: (Custard’s) Last Stand
4. A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers: Eyewitness
5. A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers: Land’s End (Sineline) / We Go Now
6. A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers: Presence Of The Night / Kosmos Tours
7. A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers: S.H.M.
8. A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers: The Clot Thickens
9. Aerosol Grey Machine
10. After The Flood
11. Afterwards
12. Aguarian
13. Arrow
14. Cat’s Eye / Yellow Fever (Running)
15. Chemical World
16. Childlike Faith In Childhood’s End
17. Darkness (11/11)
18. Door
19. Firebrand
20. House With No Door
21. Into A Game
22. Killer
23. La Rossa
24. Last Frame
25. Lemmings (Including COG)
26. Lizard Play
27. Lost I. Dance In Sand And Sea
28. Lost II. Dance In Frost
29. Man-Erg
30. Masks
31. Meurglys III, The Songwriter’s Guild
32. Mirror Images
33. My Room (Waiting For Wonderland)
34. Necromancer
35. Octopus
36. Orthenthian Street Part I
37. Orthenthian Street Part II
38. Out Of My Book
39. Pilgrims
40. Pioneers Over C.
41. Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers: Eyewitness
42. Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers: The Clot Thickens
43. Refugees
44. Running Back
45. Scorched Earth
46. Ship Of Fools
47. Still Life
48. The Emperor On His War-Room I. The Emperor
49. The Emperor On His War-Room II. The Room
50. The Habit Of The Broken Heart
51. The People You Were Going To
52. The Siren Song
53. The Sleepwalkers
54. The Sphinx In The Face
55. The Undercover Man
56. The Wave
57. Urban
58. Whatever Would Robert Have Said
59. When She Comes
60. White Hammer
61. Wondering