4) AND THE BAND PLAYED ON

Words and Music by Douglas Wood

Produced by Judith Martin

Homonym Music ASCAP

© Douglas Wood. 2004

Once upon a time when the Gipper ruled the world

When the right had might but the left was right

And anything was possible

Once upon a time when Madonna was a girl

When men were men and love was free

And Calvin wore Eternity

But I could smell the fire burning down the house

CHORUS:  And the band played on while the people danced

And the world kept spinnin’ ‘round

Everybody closed their eyes

And lost us in the sound

The same familiar faces sang the same familiar songs

And the band keep playing

Once upon a time liberation was the thing

Accusation flew and the flags did too

And quarantine was possible

Once upon a time when God failed to save the queens

While the candles marched and the quilt grew large

And silence equaled au revior

But we could smell the fire burning down the house

So I said, “Stop baby, look around.

Everybody knows we’re goin’ down.

But they wanna move, they gotta groove

Lost inside their smooth sensation

I don’t wanna blow their buzz

But the party’s almost over, cuz

The mornin’s near, the cab is here

We all gotta pay for our cocktails, dear”

Can’t you smell the fire burnin’ down the house?