All This Time

I looked out across the river today

Saw a city in the fog, an old church tower where the seagulls play

Saw the sad Shire horses walkin' home in the sodium light

Two priests on the ferry, October geese on a cold winter's night

All this time, the river flowed endlessly to the sea

Two priests came round our house tonight

One young, one old, to offer prayers for the dying, to serve the final rite

One to learn, one to teach which way the cold wind blows

And fussing and flapping in priestly black, like a murder of crows

All this time, the river flowed endlessly to the sea

If I had my way, take a boat from the river

And I'd bury the old man, I'd bury him at sea

Blessed are the poor, for they shall inherit the earth

Better to be poor than be a fat man in the eye of a needle

As these words were spoken, I swear I hear the old man laughin'

What good is a used up world, and how could it be worth having?

All this time, the river flowed endlessly, like a silent tear

All this time, the river flowed

Father, if Jesus exists, then how come He never lives here?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Yeah, yeah

Teachers told us the Romans built this place

They built a wall and a temple on the edge of the Empire garrison town

They lived and they died, they prayed to their gods

But the stone gods did not make a sound

And their empire crumbled till all that was left

Were the stones the workmen found

All this time, the river flowed in the falling light of a Northern sun

If I had my way, take a boat from the river

Men go crazy in congregations, they only get better one by one

One by one, one by one by one

One by one

I looked out across the river today

Saw a city in the fog, an old church tower where the seagulls play

Saw the sad Shire horses walkin' home in the sodium light