Nobody asks to be born Nobody wishes to die Everybody whiles away the interim time Sworn to rise from the ruins by and by The engines are droning with progress The pistons are pounding out time And it's you and me caught in this juggernaut jaunt Left to rise from the ruins down the line We will roll like an old Chevrolet The road to ruin is something to see Hang on to the wheel For the highway to hell needs chauffers For the powers that be Go and tell all your friends and relations Go and say what ain't easy to say Go and give them some hope That we might rock this boat And rise from the ruins one day Ever try to carry water in a basket Ever try to carry fire in your hand Ever try to take on the weight of the everyday freight Till you find that you're too weak to stand Why so pale and wan, fond lover Why so downcast and desperately sad We can walk, we can talk We ain't yet pillars of salt And we will rise from the ruins while we can