It all started one day when the clouds obscured the sun

The whole town was turned upside down, even ice queens were on the run

The temperture was rising, there was fire in the stack,

and the folks down at city hall had tried to turn the whole thing back

Out on the street several did parade concern

but no more for the cause than for the time to burn

The cops had warned 'em fairly that mildly outlaw gang

that they had it comin', they were goin' out with a bang..

But life went on as usual in that smokey familiar place

where your hard pressed to remember a name let alone a face

But all the same they know you, and you in turn know them

but if it's a time of need, they aren't what you'd call a friend

Johnny was the first one hit, blown up in his car

He'd been a hard working man, but he'd gone a little too far

As the fire burned the masses took to the street

you could see every strange character you could ever meet..

The bars still made it open till half past ten,

but none of them ever made it open again

The fire swept thru everything, noone could escape

they were cutting logs for a video, they ran out of tape

Cameras couldn't catch the flames, they were a minute late

They couldn't design history, it's all left up to fate

Everything was burned to dust, the moon it came up red

and there was nobody left to hear what wasn't said..

I woke up again the next morning out of this crazy dream

I made a pot of coffee and I ran out of cream

Betty the next door neighbor was hanging up her clothes

across the street they were mopping up, the night before their pipes had

froze

But the temp was warming, the day and sky were clear

as I walked across the melting ice a cracking sound I did hear

I no longer saw my shadow, I