Post by Mike on Nov 21, 2005 1:39:58 GMT -5
This don't happen often, but I was actually able to ask a songwriter what made him write a certain song. Mr Bruton explained to me his inspiration for the writing of The Clock from his newest record, From the Five. To condense that conversation...he said he wrote it after reading about and becoming interested in the Mayan civilizations with their mysterious demise, and the resemblance of that to todays civilizations. He's a firm believer that the world will from time to time cleanse itself..."shake off all these fleas and sing a brand new tune.."
"The Clock"
Stephen Bruton
There's tigers in the temple
Sleeping on the throne
Of a civilization that's dead and gone
Guarding the secrets left behind
Just a bunch of clues for the fools to find
Never saw it coming never saw it leave
Never learned the lesson, nothing to believe
No one ever thought it would ever stop
They never heard the ticking of the doomsday clock
Now the forest is blazing
Cast a shadow round the sun
Homeless children just begging for a crumb
No one's losing sleep
They're having too much fun
Oblivious to oblivion
This world is going to wake and wake up soon
Shake off all these fleas and sing a brand new tune
Everybody's acting like it ain't gonna stop
But there's a wake up call coming from the doomsday clock
Better listen for the ticking of the doomsday clock
Now the future is fading
And there's no one to blame
We got our heads in the clouds
And our feet to the flame
Writing the ending while we're setting the stage
Before we blow out the candle and turn the page
You'd think we'd learned the lesson
But if you have to ask
And if you want to know the future
Just keep repeating the past
Keep doing what you're doing
Go on and let it rock
But pray to God He resets the doomsday clock
Doomsday clock, doomsday clock
One day it's going to ring
Ready or not
Doomsday clock, doomsday clock
Night, night jammies on, doomsday clock
"The Clock"
Stephen Bruton
There's tigers in the temple
Sleeping on the throne
Of a civilization that's dead and gone
Guarding the secrets left behind
Just a bunch of clues for the fools to find
Never saw it coming never saw it leave
Never learned the lesson, nothing to believe
No one ever thought it would ever stop
They never heard the ticking of the doomsday clock
Now the forest is blazing
Cast a shadow round the sun
Homeless children just begging for a crumb
No one's losing sleep
They're having too much fun
Oblivious to oblivion
This world is going to wake and wake up soon
Shake off all these fleas and sing a brand new tune
Everybody's acting like it ain't gonna stop
But there's a wake up call coming from the doomsday clock
Better listen for the ticking of the doomsday clock
Now the future is fading
And there's no one to blame
We got our heads in the clouds
And our feet to the flame
Writing the ending while we're setting the stage
Before we blow out the candle and turn the page
You'd think we'd learned the lesson
But if you have to ask
And if you want to know the future
Just keep repeating the past
Keep doing what you're doing
Go on and let it rock
But pray to God He resets the doomsday clock
Doomsday clock, doomsday clock
One day it's going to ring
Ready or not
Doomsday clock, doomsday clock
Night, night jammies on, doomsday clock