The Hourglass Lyrics - Savatage

Standing alone by the edge of a river 

he's traded his life for a glass full of tears 

the bargain was quick for one's life is less dearer 

when the sand's running out and the ending is near 

The ending is near 

the ending is near 

the ending is... 

The man climbed aboard and set sail for the ocean 

he put on the mast all the canvas she'd take 

then laid himself down on the deck neath the tiller 

the ship was his coffin this moment his wake 

Runaway reasons 

runaway seasons 

time is a treason 

That i give back to you now 

The wind touched the sail and the ship 

moved the ocean 

the wind from the storm set the course she would take 

from a journey to nowhere towards a soul on the ocean 

From the wake of magellan to magellan's wake 

Runaway reasons 

runaway seasons 

everything in it 

hours and minutes 

you take tomorrow 

Because it means nothing 

to me 

to me 

To... 

In the dark he heard a whisper 

asking him to understand 

in the desert look for water 

on the ocean look for land 

In the dark he heard a whisper 

asking him to understand 

in the desert look for water 

on the ocean look for land 

And there in the waves 

was a man in his grave 

that he saw in the night 

'tween the flashes of light 

and he 

Could not be there 

And all he had prayed 

Or had given away 

he now found to be wrong 

in the grip of the storm 

and he 

could not be there 

Could you keep our lives together 

safely back onto the shore 

could you grant this last illusion 

only this and nothing more 

Could you keep our lives together 

safely back onto the shore 

could you grant this last illusion 

only this and nothing more 

And all at once the heavens bled their fire 

the anchor broke the chains they flew away 

and suddenly the waves were reaching higher 

and in the dark i thought i heard them say 

Could you keep our lives together 

safely back onto the shore 

could you grant this last illusion 

only this and nothing more 

But what the sailor did not know 

and would never learn 

was on that beach now far away 

the young child had returned 

And finding the broken hourglass 

he reset it upright 

then placed sand from the beach inside 

and placed the lid on tight 

Then examining his handiwork 

he left it in the sand 

and then he quickly ran back home 

thinking god would understand 

Everything i ever had for one more tomorrow 

everything i ever had for just one more night 

and if this is not to be i pray could i borrow 

just another final hour onto my life 

Did you ever really want to 

did you ever really want to 

Lord, tell me how it will be 

lord, tell me how it will be 

Standing once more by a boat on a river 

he pushes it off while he stays on the land 

and seeing the hourglass now so much clearer 

Which someone had refilled by hand 

And somewhere that boat's now adrift on the 

ocean 

The mast at full sail and there's no one on board 

the hourglass no longer sits by the ocean 

only his footprints all alone on the shore 

and soon they're no more 

no more 

No more 

Now our story's nearly over 

and we've reached the final scene 

but we're sure that some have wondered 

what had happened in-between 

From the moment when the boy was saved 

and their boat had reached the shore 

well, they talked about life and death 

And perhaps a little more 

The boy said he'd been a stowaway 

aboard the "maersk dubai" 

when the captain had him thrown to the sea 

and left him there to die 

At this the old sailor had stood up 

his face now filled with rage 

and swore that he would never rest 

until that captain had been caged 

But the boy implored the sailor 

that he not say a word 

because he was an illegal immigrant 

and as of recently he'd heard 

That going to the authorities 

could often be unwise 

when one's paper were illegal 

the police just might not sympathize 

So when they reached the harbor 

with their journey at an end 

he left the boy on another ship 

whose captain was a friend 

And when he saw it pull to sea 

and was once more all alone 

he leaned against the tiller 

and turned his ship back home 

Eventually he reached that beach 

he'd left the night before 

then stepped a last time from the boat 

and waded to the shore 

Then the old man picked the glass up 

that he had left behind 

and headed for the small cafe 

for it was nearly time 

And the ocean watched him leaving 

to find his lady fair 

and as he left he heard her last words 

drifting in the air 

That every man 

Is born you see 

beneath the sword 

Damocles 

For young and old 

are all alive 

on that next beat 

On which we ride 

And that beat is such 

a fragile thing 

in both old men 

or youthful king 

And that beat 

Stands all alone you see 

Between us 

And black eternity 

And until that time 

when death won't wait 

let each man rage 

Against his fate 

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