Peter, Paul and Mary
The Great Mandala (The Wheel of Life)
[Verse 1]
So I told him that he'd better
Shut his mouth and do his job like a man
And he answered "Listen, Father
I will never kill another"
He thinks he's better
Than his brother that died
What the hell does he think he's doing
To his father who brought him up right?

[Chorus]
Take your place on The Great Mandala
As it moves through your brief moment of time
Win or lose now you must choose now
And if you lose you're only losing your life

[Verse 2]
Tell the jailer not to bother
With his meal of brеad and water today
He is fasting 'til the killing's ovеr
He's a martyr, he thinks he's a prophet
But he's a coward, he's just playing a game
He can't do it, he can't change it
It's been going on for ten thousand years

[Chorus]
Take your place on The Great Mandala (The Great Mandala)
As it moves through your brief moment of time
Win or lose now (Win or lose now)
You must choose now (You must choose now)
And if you lose you're only losing your life
[Verse 3]
What's the rumbling (What's the rumbling)
In the courtyard? (In the courtyard?)
Seven thousand faces are turned to the gate
What's that they're saying?
Kill the traitor
Kill the traitor (Kill the traitor)
Kill the traitor (Kill the traitor)
Kill the traitor, la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la

[Chorus]
Take your place on The Great Mandala
As it moves through your brief moment of time
Win or lose now (Win or lose now)
You must choose now (You must choose now)
And if you lose you're only losing your life

[Verse 4]
Tell the people they are safe now
Hunger stopped him, he lies still in his cell
Death has gagged his accusations
We are free now, we can kill now
We can hate now, now we can end the world
We're not guilty, he was crazy
And it's been going on for ten thousand years
[Chorus]
Take your place on The Great Mandala
As it moves through your brief moment of time
Win or lose now you must choose now
And if you lose you're only wasting your life
And if you lose you're only wasting your life