I am pondering the citizenry of the place I live
Privilege and advantage, but a willingness to give
These droves and droves of immigrants came teeming 'cross the plains
The cavalry behind them, and we are what remains
And if you've got a dollar, someone'll give you something for it
But a little more'll get you something nicer, I'm sure of it
Maybe a watch that's made in China from the trunk of someone's car
Or a lifesize cardboard cutout of a famous movie star
Somewhere bells are ringing, somewhere someone's marrying
Or a casket someone's carrying – A crowd somewhere is gathering
Somewhere a bell is marking what is passing and sublime
Like the clock of the world keeping perfect holy time
Ravenous and beautiful, it's all beyond me, I admit
I can buy it if I want it, but I don't need so much of it
And the price will need repaying, don't know how it will be met
But bells go on ringing, grace may find us yet
Or will the angels stumble weary, tired of tasks they've been assigned?
Chimes ringing resoundly, while they hold the firing lines?
With great imagination we call these creatures from the air
And as easily convince ourselves that they were never there
Somewhere bells are ringing, somewhere someone's marrying
Or a casket someone's carrying – A crowd somewhere is gathering
Somewhere a bell is marking what is passing and sublime
Like the clock of the world keeping perfect holy time
I am listening for a church bell and I know somewhere it rings
Reading Darwin by the window, in the order of natural things
And there is grandeur in his viewpoint – these evolutionary strains
Still nothing's quiet on the Eastern front
So the cavalry remains. Always the cavalry remains
And if you've got a dollar, someone'll give you something for it
But a little more'll get you something nicer, I'm sure of it
Here's a painting of a woman, maybe all the way from Rome
Look how sad and pretty, she's so far away from home
Somewhere bells are ringing, somewhere someone's marrying
Or a casket someone's carrying – A crowd somewhere is gathering
Somewhere a bell is marking what is passing and sublime
Like the clock of the world keeping perfect holy time