A memo to a higher office Open letter to the powers that be To a god, a king, a head of state A captain of industry To the movers and the shakers Can't everybody see? It ought to be a second nature I mean the places where we live Let's talk about this sensibly We're not insensitive I know progress has no patience But something's got to give I know you're different You know I'm the same We're both too busy To be taking the blame I'd like some changes But you don't have the time We can't go on thinking It's a victimless crime. No one is blameless But we're all without shame We fight the fire While we're feeding the flames Folks have got to make choices And choices got to have voices Folks are basically decent Conventional wisdom would say Well we read about the exceptions In the papers everyday It ought to be second nature At least that's what I feel Now I lay me down in dreamland I know perfect's not for real I thought we might get closer But I'm ready to make a deal Today is different And tomorrow the same It's hard to take the world The way that it came Too many rapids Keep us sweeping along Too many captains Keep on steering us wrong It's hard to take the heat It's hard to lay blame To fight the fire While we're feeding the flames It ought to be a second nature At least that's what I feel Now I lay me down in dreamland I know perfect's not for real I thought we might get closer