Richie Havens
The Great Mandala (The Wheel of Life)
So I told him, that he better shut his mouth
And do his job like a man
And he answered, listen father
I will never kill another
Thinks hes better than his brother who died
What the hell does he think hes doing
To his father who brought him up right
Chorus:
Take a place on, the great mandala as it moves through your brief moment in time
We'll lose now, you must choose now
And if you lose you're only losing your life
Tell the jailer not to bother, with his meal
Of bread and water today
He is fasting, till the killings over
He's a modern, thinks he's a prophet
But he's a coward, he's just playing the game
He can't do it, he can't change it
And its been going on for ten thousand years
Chorus:
Take a place on, the great mandala as it moves through your brief moment in time
We'll lose now, you must choose now
And if you lose you're only losing your life
Whats that rumbling, in the court yard
Seven thousand faces are turned to the gate
Whats that? their saying, "kill the trader"
Kill the trader
Kill the trader, kill the trader
Chorus:
Take a place on, the great mandala as it moves through your brief moment in time
We'll lose now, you must choose now
And if you lose you're only losing your life
Tell the people they are safe now
Are guns stopped him, now he lies still in his cell
That has gagged all his accusations
We are free now, you can kill now
You can hate now, now we can end the world
We're not guilty he was crazy
And its been going on for ten thousand years
Chorus:
Take a place on, the great mandala as it moves through your brief moment in time
We'll lose now, you must choose now
And if you lose you're only losing your life
And if you lose you're only losing your life