Patti Smith - 1959

Lyrics

Listen to my story. Got two tales to tell.

One of fallen glory. One of vanity.

The world's roof was raging, but we were looking fine;

'Cause we built that thing and it grew wings,

In Nineteen-Fifty-Nine.

Wisdom was a teapot; Pouring from above.

Desolation angels

Served it up with Love.

Ignitin'[g strife] like every form of light,

Then moved by bold design,

Slid in that thing and it grew wings,

In Nineteen-Fifty-Nine.

It was blood, shining in the Sun;

First: Freedom!

Speeding the American claim:

Freedom; Freedom; Freedom; Freedom!

China was the tempest; [And] Madness overflowed.

[The] Lama was a young man,

And [he] watched his world in flames.

Taking Glory down by the edge of clouds;

It was a cryin'[g] shame.

Another lost horizon. Tibet the fallen star.

Wisdom and compassion Crushed, in the land of Shangri-La.

But in the land of the Impala, honey, well,

We were lookin' fine,

'cause we built that thing and it grew wings;

In Nineteen-Fifty-Nine.

'Cause we built that thing and it grew wings;

In Nineteen-Fifty-Nine.

It was the best of times, it's [was] the worst of times;

In 1959; 1959; 1959; 1959; 1959; 1959; 1959.

It was the best of times; It was the worst of times.

[In] Nineteen-Fifty-Nine.