B F#
B F#
E B/F#
E B/F# C#


[Verse 1]
B F#
     A memo to a higher office
B F#
     Open letter to the powers that be
B F#
     To a god, a king, a head of state
B F#
     A captain of industry

B F#
      To the movers and the shakers
B F# C#
      Can't everybody see
E B/F#
      It ought to be a second nature
E B/F#
      I mean the places where we live
E B/F#
      Let's talk about this sensibly
E B/F#
      We're not insensitive

B F#
     I know progress has no patience
B F# C#                          C# C#
       But something's got to give


[Chorus]
A              G                           A
I know you're different, You know I'm the same
                G                     D
We're both too busy to be taking the blame
                E                             F#m
I'd like some changes, but you don't have the time
                E                          A
We can't go on thinking it's a victimless crime
           G         A                       G
No one is blameless, But we're all without shame
D              E    F#m                      E
 We fight the fire while we're feeding the flames


[Verse 2]
B F#
       Folks have got to make choices
B F#
       And choices got to have voices
E B/F#
       Folks are basically decent
E B/F#
       Conventional wisdom would say
B F#
       Well we read about the exceptions
B F# C#
       In the papers every day

E B/F#
       It ought to be second nature
E B/F#
       At least, that's what I feel
E B/F#
       Now I lay me down in Dreamland
E B/F#
      I know perfect's not for real
B F#
      I thought we might get closer
B F# C#
      But I'm ready to make a deal


[Chorus]
A          G                          A
Today is different, and tomorrow the same
              G                              D
It's hard to take the world the way that it came
          E                       F#m
Too many rapids keep us sweeping along
          E                             A
Too many captains keep on steering us wrong
             G             A                 G
It's hard to take the heat, it's hard to lay blame
D            E    F#m                     A
To fight the fire while we're feeding the flames


[Verse 2 again]
E B/F#
       It ought to be second nature
E B/F#
       At least, that's what I feel
E B/F#
       Now I lay me down in Dreamland
E B/F#
      I know perfect's not for real
B F#
      I thought we might get closer...