Peter Paul & Mary - The Great Mandala lyrics

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.

Tell the jailer not to bother

With his meal of bread and water today.

He is fasting 'til the killing's over

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)

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!

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've only wasted your life.