The Fortress - Richard Thompson

One day, the ceiling falls in on you

Your more than perfect world

Has suddenly come unglued

There you are

One day, your fortress is so much dust

The friends you thought you knew

Have all betrayed your trust

There you are

Head over heels, nothing to cling to

Struck down dumb, no muses to sing to

Four winds blow you, lift you, fling you

Into the sky…

You’re no John Wayne, you’re no gun slinger

You thought you had the whole world

Wrapped around your finger

You always said: «It was the song and not the singer»

After all…

You set your own wake

You thought that that was clever

You staked your bets on living forever

Forever, forever, forever, forever

But after all…

You were bound to fall

You were bound to fall

One day, trouble will seek you out

You can run and you can hide

But your life is up the spout

And there you are

One day, nothing makes sense at all

Your career’s slow suicide

Your brain has hit the wall

There you are

Spinning around on a carousel of voices

Talking in tongues a hundred James Joyces

Screaming in your head as if you need choices

After all…

You’re no John Wayne, you’re no gun slinger

You thought you had the whole world

Wrapped around your finger

You always said: «It was the song and not the singer»

After all…

You set your own wake

You thought that that was clever

You staked your bets on living forever

Forever, forever, forever, forever

But after all…

You were bound to fall

You were bound to fall