I watch the world
Through a veil of steel curtains
And wonder at what it all means
A child that grew up too fast
And yet
Never grew up at all
When time keeps on ticking away
And you know there are no time outs to call
That hangman's noose gets a little tighter every day

I am not a villain
I am not a hero
I am just a lost soul
Wandering this mortal coil
Trying to make some sense of it all

But I want to be the hero
I want to save the world
To save them all
Save them from that house
Where the giants rule
Tight fisted
With their shouts and their insults and their threats
A tyranny of words
That keep them chained in that medieval kitchen

But I want to be the hero
I want to sever their bonds
Unlock those chains with my silver keys
And take them away
To where the sun will shine warm upon their faces
And the frost can never claim the roses

I know my enemies and I know my friends
Though sometimes the dividing line is thin
And I know that girl
Still five years away
Old for her years
Wise for a child
Trapped between the two worlds of age and youth
Without ever seeming to have had a childhood
She can't grow up fast enough

And I want to be her hero
To show her what's behind that hill
Hidden beyond the horizon
Where the roses bloom fresh and alive
To peel back their petals and share their secrets
Away from tyranny
And those black ties that bind
Because sometimes blood really is thicker than water

But if I can become that hero
And be that knight in vinyl armor
Then maybe I won't have tried in vain

And if I guide the world through her stumbles
And they look to me for a champion
What do I do
If I fall
And I have no hero there to catch me
And fall I will someday

But I never was a villain
And I may not ever be a hero
So I'll content myself with knowing
That gold is the cheaper metal
And if I cannot feel the sun warm upon my face
Then I will bask in the serene embrace of the silver moon
And find my solace in the night

And I will never be a failure
When all I've done is tried