How I wish that horizon was not such a clutter
Full of hoardings of height, extravagant strobe lights
Swinging construction cranes, smoke, banking aeroplanes
Satellite flowers, cables, radio towers . . .
And more and more …
Oh I wish the stars would again wheel over my head
Across the great wild skies on which the cosmos is spread
But we’re living in a world that is a shadow of itself
We’re living in a world that is a shadow of itself
We’re living in a world that is a shadow of itself
It’s a shadow that we’re living in

Even the silence just bickers and mutters
Some chugging machine, coughing, convulsing between
Distant thumps of the bass, lewd screams interlaced
Midnight motorbikes, those howling street fights
And more and more …
Oh if only the silence was touched with just the slightest of sounds
The tiniest beasts, the rain on moist ground
But we’re living in a world that is a shadow of itself
We’re living in a world that is a shadow of itself
We’re living in a world that is a shadow of itself
It’s a shadow that we’re living in

Once in our history the world was not seven billion strong
And the roads between settlements ran emptier and long
Once mighty animals roamed thick on the plains
And the trees grew to heights no man could attain
Once we were humble, wolves haunted our nights
Summer fruit and sweetwater served sufficient delight
Once maps were sketched on hearsay and hope
It took less than a day to reach rovings remote
Once the birds wheeled close in the skies
From each conceivable corner, the flowers would arise
But we’re living in a world that’s a shadow of itself
Living in a world that’s a shadow of itself
But we’re living in a world that is a shadow of itself
It’s a shadow that we’re living in

Now I spend my days indolent, comfortable, snug
Well sated, placated, on streams of digital drugs
No view to speak of, no discomfort to bear
But for all these indulgences I remain well aware
I’m living in a world that is a shadow of itself.
I’m living in a world that is a shadow of itself
We’re living in a world that is a shadow of itself
It’s a shadow that we’re living in