the "in" crowd

i much preferred the lie
than what was truly so
it seemed that just
like most of you
the myth had won
as it had always done
what else was left to do ?

i had mortgaged
my immortal spirit
so that i could say
i was not alone
and be seen
as one of you

the cost was cheap
it came so easy
i just signed along
the dotted line
and just like that
fabled roadside inn
down california way
i might check out anytime
but i could never leave

the mortgage man
was oh so nice
as he handed
me the keys
his grip was firm
his smile seemed real
but his touch it
was cold as ice
yes, his touch
was cold as ice

if the truth is what
shall set me free
what was there to gain
from this clever deal
that i had made ?
how could i pass to
the great beyond
having sold my soul
along the way ?

that noble road
boldly set upon
so many years ago
seemed guided
by the master's light
but i didn't see the
fork of the road
that i had followed
having wandered much
too far throughout
the dead of night

i had heard it said
that one could ne'er
serve two masters well
trying to please them both
would honor neither one
and to continue thus
led but straight to hell

i somehow thought
that i was special
and could perform
this high-wire act
but have since then
come to understand
no-one who had
ever tried could
deny this simple fact

it can't be done
it never could
nor ever shall it be
though caesar does
demand his due
it is the timeless one
who offers lasting hope
for such as thee and me