Poetry Friday: World (lyrics by John Ondrasik)

I was sharing one of my favorite songs, “100 Years,” by Five for Fighting (John Ondrasik) with a friend this morning. I’ve shared those lyrics here before, so I’m going to share another Ondrasik song instead.

World

Got a package full of wishes
A time machine, a magic wand
A globe made out? of gold
No instructions or commandments
Laws of gravity or indecisions to uphold

Printed on the box I see
Acme’s? built a world-to-be
Take a chance, grab a piece
Help me to believe it

What kind of world do you want?
Think anything
Let’s start at the? start
Build a masterpiece
Be careful what you wish for
History starts? now

Should there be people or peoples
Money, funny pedestals
for fools? who never pay
Raise your army, choose your steeple
Don’t be shy, the? satellites
can look the other way

Lose the earthquakes, keep the? faults
Fill the oceans without the salt
Let every man own his own hand

What kind of world do you want?
Think anything
Let’s start at the? start
Build a masterpiece
Be careful what you wish for
History starts? now

Sunlight’s on the bridge
Sunlight’s on the way
Tomorrow’s? calling
There’s more to this than love

What kind of world do you? want
What kind of world do you want
What kind of world do you want
Think anything

Let’s start at the start
Build a masterpiece
History? starts now
Be careful what you wish for
Start now

–John Ondrasik

 

History does start now. Every moment is so important. That’s what Ondrasik’s lyrics often hit me hard with. Do you have your favorite songwriters whose lyrics really seem to grab and transform you?

Mary Lee at A Year of Reading?has the Poetry Friday Roundup today!

28 Responses

  1. Love the idea that history starts NOW and we need to build the world we want. Be the change we want to see in the world. (Gandhi)

  2. Love the idea that history starts NOW and we need to build the world we want. Be the change we want to see in the world. (Gandhi)

  3. There are so many great songwriters making music these days. I’ll have to think of a few I’d publicly “endorse” and get back to you. Annie Clark of St. Vincent is my current musical crush. Lyrics like “I saw the morning Northern Lights / Convinced it was the end of times” as refrain sung by frizzy-haired female lead set to crazy hyper rock music … can’t beat it.

        1. Noted. I just listened to Landmines–love the lyrics and how forward the vocals are. Gorgeous voice, though I’m not completely wild about that kind of enunciation/sound that reminds me of that 1960s British sound like Lulu. It’s funny, though–I love Five for Fighting, but I hate his falsetto, which he uses a lot–way too much, imo. I generally like it when guys sing much lower, so his voice is not at all the kind that usually appeals to me. But the lyrics are irresistable, so he’s become one of my very favorites. Anyway, she also reminds me a tiny bit of some old Kate Bush. Will have to listen to more of her–thanks!

          1. Other songs that are representative of the band are Actor, Surgeon, and Cruel.

            Tamer stuff that pops into my head (more true singer/songwriter types) are Sarah Jarosz (very young — still in college — a true talent), Neko Case / New Pornographers, Archer Prewitt, Sufjan Stevens, and maybe you’d like Okkervil River.

          2. Thanks! Will check out those specific songs and add these other artists to the St. Vincent pandora station I started and see which ones appeal. I’ve heard of some but not all of these, but I’m not really familiar with any of them.

  4. There are so many great songwriters making music these days. I’ll have to think of a few I’d publicly “endorse” and get back to you. Annie Clark of St. Vincent is my current musical crush. Lyrics like “I saw the morning Northern Lights / Convinced it was the end of times” as refrain sung by frizzy-haired female lead set to crazy hyper rock music … can’t beat it.

        1. Noted. I just listened to Landmines–love the lyrics and how forward the vocals are. Gorgeous voice, though I’m not completely wild about that kind of enunciation/sound that reminds me of that 1960s British sound like Lulu. It’s funny, though–I love Five for Fighting, but I hate his falsetto, which he uses a lot–way too much, imo. I generally like it when guys sing much lower, so his voice is not at all the kind that usually appeals to me. But the lyrics are irresistable, so he’s become one of my very favorites. Anyway, she also reminds me a tiny bit of some old Kate Bush. Will have to listen to more of her–thanks!

          1. Other songs that are representative of the band are Actor, Surgeon, and Cruel.

            Tamer stuff that pops into my head (more true singer/songwriter types) are Sarah Jarosz (very young — still in college — a true talent), Neko Case / New Pornographers, Archer Prewitt, Sufjan Stevens, and maybe you’d like Okkervil River.

          2. Thanks! Will check out those specific songs and add these other artists to the St. Vincent pandora station I started and see which ones appeal. I’ve heard of some but not all of these, but I’m not really familiar with any of them.

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