In the unfolding of the universe,
Will there ever come a time
To overthrow the thrones of glory?
Will the day ever draw near?
Will those who dwell on the earth
Ever hear the other side of every story?

Will the prince and the pauper
Ever join hand in hand
Or will they always see each other as the adversary?
Will the prince and the princess
Unite in healing the land?
Why is what we do not understand so scary?

Why do we let the spiritual wickedness
In high places sicken us
And never do a god-damned thing about it?
Come on – my heart’s in my hands –
If we wanna break the yoke of tyrants
I think it’s time we broke the silence!

Luckless, low life throwaways
Huddled under stairwells like stowaways
Sounds a little bit like degradation.
But out of all of our father’s creation,
I for one in desperation
Found my inspiration
On the streets!

Where I saw thrown down, blown down, spit upon,
Stuck into a jail cell and shit upon,
The very finest people on the planet.
Come on – my heart isn’t made of stone!
Up against the wall, against the wall
Up against the wall, against the wall
Up against the wall, against the wall
Up against the wall!

Fare thee well
O ye streets where we sleep
Fare thee well
Ye sidewalks of squalor
And open the doors
To ye cells of the county jail
Where on floors
We will be held without bail

Since the night
When the tires were slashed –
Such delight
When the windows were smashed!
What a sight
As we stood unabashed
Waiting to reap the rewards of our statement of pride . . .

We are the children of the universe,
Destined to be performers
In a universal celebration.
Though our words have been twisted
And out hearts held hard in our fists,
We’re the heart and soul of every human nation.

So let this blatant, flagrant spectacle
Show to all the world how respectable
Ought to be the rage of righteous rabble!
And don’t you think we will look kinda pretty –
Storming the gates of the city?
Leveling the heights of Babylon –
Leveling the heights of Babylon –
Leveling the heights of Babylon –
Leveling the heights of Babel!!

Luckless, low life throwaways
Huddled under stairwells like stowaways
Couldn’t make a better bid for power!
And if it comes down to plunder and pillage
Surely the stench of the village
Ought to represent our finest hour!

We are the Children of the Universe,
Manifesting might in the universe –
Bursting through the boundaries of reason
Let the walls that our wills will have shattered
Show them the lives that have mattered
Far beyond the wreckage of the season!

‘Cause we’ve been thrown down, blown down, spit upon,
Stuck into a jail cell and shit upon,
Mutilated by the blows of madmen –
Come on – tear down the wall –
Tear – (up against the wall, against the wall)
Down – (up against the wall, against the wall)
The – (up against the wall, against the wall)
Wall – (up against the wall!)
Tear down the wall!!

“Children of the Universe”
from the new musical Eden in Babylon
Copyright © 2018 by Andrew Michael Pope 

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