The Lost Leader
I
Just for a handful of silver he left us,
Just for a riband to stick in his coast—
Found the one gift of which fortune bereft us,
Lost all the others she lets us devote;
They, with the gold to give, doled him out silver,
So much was theirs who so little allowed:
How all our copper had gone for his service!
Rags—were they purple, his heart had been proud!
We that had loved him so, followed him, honored him,
Lived in his mild and magnificent eye,
Learned his great language, caught his clear accents,
Made him our pattern to live and to die!
Shakespeare was of us, Milton was for us,
Burns, Shelley, were with us,—they watch from their graves!
He alone breaks from the van and the freemen,
—He alone sinks to the rear and the slaves!
II
We shall march prospering,—not thro' his presence;
Songs may inspirit us,—not from his lyre;
Deeds will be done,—while he boasts his quiescence,
Still bidding crouch whom the rest bade aspire:
Blot out his name, then, record one lost soul more,
One task more declined, one more footpath untrod,
One more devils'-triumph and sorrow for angels,
One wrong more to man, one more insult to God!
Life's night begins: let him never come back to us!
There would be doubt, hesitation and pain,
Forced praise on our part—the glimmer of twilight,
Never glad confident morning again!
Best fight on well, for we taught him—strike gallantly,
Menace our heart ere we master his own;
Then let him receive the new knowledge and wait us,
Pardoned in heaven, the first by the throne!
poem by Robert Browning from Dramatic Romances and Lyrics (1845)
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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Related quotes
Lost Leader, The
I.
Just for a handful of silver he left us,
Just for a riband to stick in his coat---
Found the one gift of which fortune bereft us,
Lost all the others she lets us devote;
They, with the gold to give, doled him out silver,
So much was theirs who so little allowed:
How all our copper had gone for his service!
Rags---were they purple, his heart had been proud!
We that had loved him so, followed him, honoured him,
Lived in his mild and magnificent eye,
Learned his great language, caught his clear accents,
Made him our pattern to live and to die!
Shakespeare was of us, Milton was for us,
Burns, Shelley, were with us,---they watch from their graves!
He alone breaks from the van and the free-men,
---He alone sinks to the rear and the slaves!
II.
We shall march prospering,---not thro' his presence;
Songs may inspirit us,---not from his lyre;
Deeds will be done,---while he boasts his quiescence,
Still bidding crouch whom the rest bade aspire:
Blot out his name, then, record one lost soul more,
One task more declined, one more foot-path untrod,
One more devils'-triumph and sorrow for angels,
One wrong more to man, one more insult to God!
Life's night begins: let him never come back to us!
There would be doubt, hesitation and pain,
Forced praise on our part---the glimmer of twilight,
Never glad confident morning again!
Best fight on well, for we taught him---strike gallantly,
Menace our heart ere we master his own;
Then let him receive the new knowledge and wait us,
Pardoned in heaven, the first by the throne!
poem by Robert Browning
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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My Only Song
Man of Sorrow
Man of Pain
You took it all
Without any gain.
You loved us all
With gentle eyes
Man of Sorrow
Man of Pain
39 plus one
Lashes great fall on your back
A crown of thorns
Pressed down around your head
The blood runs down
and yet you cry
'So many lost;
So many die.'
Man of Sorrow
Man of Pain
Leave it now-
And cry again
Man of sorrow
Man of pain
Your troubled heart
Feels my pain.
Lifted up to die
Bitter gall served fresh
As wine
Yet you'd do it again
For one lost sheep
That beats in the air.
Man of sorrow
Man of pain
When is it enough?
So much grief
You swallow up
Yet you bore it
And demand me live-
Man of sorrow
I humbled myself down.
All glory to you
Man of sorrow
All thrones belong to you
Man of pain
You gave me life and
Even more
I have nothing
But myself to give -
Yet I keep taking it back
Man of Sorrow
Man of Pain.
poem by Charlotte Ballard
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Silver And Gold
Silver, silver and gold
Silver and gold, silver and gold
Ev'ryone wishes for silver and gold
How do you measure its worth?
Just by the pleasure it gives here on earth.
Silver and gold, silver and gold
Mean so much more when I see
Silver and gold decorations
On ev'ry Christmas tree.
Silver, silver and gold
Silver, silver and gold
Silver and gold
Silver and gold
Silver and gold
Wise men brought gifts to the mange I'm told
Mary was humble to see
Shepherds and kings there on bended knees
It's silver and gold, silver and gold
Feeling the world with their lives
Silver and gold how they shimmer on ev'ry Christmas night
On ev'ry Christmas night
Silver, silver and gold
song performed by by Vanessa Williams
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Sms Piles of Sorrow
sms sms piles
all for attention
while I, who noticed
you try to think
it all revolves around coin
the jingle, gold, silver and copper
each has different weights
including that which ye
gold, silver or copper
dying souls
attached to the wishes
world, the cause of suffering
you try to think
why every weekend
they went to the mountains,
the lonely places
they want to let go of the pain of it
However, in the wrong way
not wrong, if tears
a sorrow flowers
poem by Prasetya Utama
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Silver & Gold
Words and Music by Johnny Marks.
Silver, silver and gold
Silver and gold, silver and gold
Ev'ryone wishes for silver and gold
How do you measure its worth?
Just by the pleasure it gives here on earth.
Silver and gold, silver and gold
Mean so much more when I see
Silver and gold decorations
On ev'ry Christmas tree.
Silver, silver and gold
Silver, silver and gold
Silver and gold
Silver and gold
Silver and gold
Wise men brought gifts to the mange I'm told
Mary was humble to see
Shepherds and kings there on bended knees
It's silver and gold, silver and gold
Feeling the world with their lives
Silver and gold how they shimmer on ev'ry Christmas night
On ev'ry Christmas night
Silver, silver and gold
song performed by by Vanessa Williams
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Legend Of The Angel
When God made the angels, not one of them knew how to fly.
They walked across Heaven not knowing all they could do.
God wanted to know how long it would take them to learn.
So He kept telling them to go to different parts of Heaven.
Off they went walking, walking, walking, walking, walking.
In time, one of the Lord's angels found out that he could run.
The archangels were completely shocked and they tried it.
Pretty soon, millions of angels were running across Heaven.
God smiled at them. We all have to start somehere, don't we?
God created a few upstairs' rooms in some of His palaces.
Wisely, the angels and the archangels walked up the stairs.
Even though they could run and run and run, they walked.
God smiled again, because He liked them to be careful...
As a reward, He transformed their wings into silver and gold.
The angels were amazed at these wondrous dazzling delights.
But, the thing is, silver and gold can be quite heavy at times.
Not one of the angels complained. Why offend the Father?
But, the thing is, silver and gold can be quite heavy at times.
After a bit, it got a bit too much for one of the smaller angels.
He was exhausted, huffing and puffing his way across Heaven.
The next time God called to him, he approached the Throne...
Father, could You take back Your silver and gold, please?
The Lord agreed and then the angel began to float in the air.
He flapped his wings nervously not knowing how to get down.
To his amazement, he started flying as the other angels stared.
This is so much easier than walking or running! He told them.
So they all asked God the Father to please let them fly as well.
All their silver and gold melted away and covered the streets.
As they didn't feel the need of these, they blessed Heaven instead.
From that day on, all of the angels could fly, it was so easy...
Then they understood why God had made some smaller angels.
He knew one of them would be tired out and had to ask for help.
Imagine if we had no setbacks, no weights to hold us down...
Alas, we haven't earned our wings yet, but maybe someday...
In the meanwhile, let's just feed the birds and watch them fly...
poem by Denis Martindale
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The morning comes late
all i give is to what is life, all i take is for you, all i made is to make
what you are today, all is just a vanity like smoke that fade in a blink
of an eye
as the night passes the day, all are counted merit for you, all is
given credit what you have done, the pain, the agony, the victory,
the joy are all for you
the happiness you offer to the world, is but a essence of what you
are in this creation, be apart for in every part you made, it might
be the last moment of your stay
it is in this victory that you are call, it is in this happiness that you
have to serve, it is in this life that you exist to procreate, the given
task, only in you, knows that you are in a journey of this life
in every morning, if the sun stand, anchor in your bed and you
feel that you are fine, let your heart tells and be not wary, for the
you are in a journey of no turning back
time is but a moment of an endless journey, a blink of where soul
stand still, of no where to define, just an aura of nothing happen,
only the past will tell, of who you are in every beginning
let your soul move on, of where to floats, angel from different
direction will blew your heart to a place where, you never forget
and you will remember, that once upon a time, your immortal
soul belong and have live this majestic state
just wait, you will be honored and respected according to what
you gain, it is just a passing scene in your heart witness only by
your soul the everything you have made in you life
may you wake up in good faith and live this life to be continued
to life everlasting, have a nice and beautiful morning
poem by Antonio Liao
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I Lost My Crown
The day I lost my mind
Was the day you left for good
All the love that was left behind
Wouldn’t bring you back if it could
I lost my reign
I lost my crown
All I have left is a kingdom of pain
Where I lost more than I found
I can’t seem to understand
Why you loved me less
It wasn’t part of the plan
To make my heart a royal mess
I lost my reign
I lost my crown
All my dreams are shattered
All my treasures don’t shine anymore
I can’t believe I never mattered
All I can hear is the slamming of the door
I lost my reign
I lost my crown
Don’t need any riches where I’m bound
Tears will fill my throne till I drown
poem by Alfred Ramos
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Lost and Found
For so long my heart was trapped in darkness,
My soul was filled with pain,
No one will ever know my sorrow,
It just felt like there would be no tomorrow.
Then one day you were lurking,
In the deep shadows of my mind,
I asked myself why I felt so lost,
Was it You I was meant to find?
I watch You from a distance,
Yet Your presence was is clear,
To me You are a mystery,
You are so far away,
Yet so very near.
Now You are always with me,
Of that fact I'm sure,
I am safe in Your presence,
Forever more.
My God You found me,
When I had no hope of being found,
My heart and soul rejoice now,
The darkness is no more around.
poem by Denice Robinson
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It Rained All Night
I'm glad it rained all night
'Couse you would've been gone
I'm glad it rained all night, all night, all night
'Couse you would've been gone
I've been looking for love my whole life long
Searching for something to make me feel strong
I might be your lover, then I might be wrong
Yeah!
I lost it all that night
I felt my world go black
Lost my heart, my soul, my mind, my sight
Put a knife in my back
Let it rain!
Nasty dark clouds brewing over head
Oh, bring yourself in here
I'll give you shelter from the raging storm
You'll be so safe, I'm so sincere
I felt that pain all night
Since you've been gone
I know that pain alright, alright, alright
Where you were gone
I've been searching for love to ease the pain
The hunger and the knife that's in this chain
Thank the thunder and the lightnin' for making it rain
I'm glad it rained all night
'Couse you would've been gone
I'm glad it rained all night, night, night, night, night, night
'Couse you would've been gone
You know I would've been gone
A thousand miles away
And I would've just left thru another day
You know you stop my heart, you make me shake
Don't you know that your an angle and my soul is at stake
I'm glad it rained all night, all night, all night
Or you would've been gone
You would've been real gone
You would've been on your way
You would've hit the night going 95 and I never gonna see you again
Oh, let it rain!
Oh, let it rain!
Come on, let it rain!
Lightning and thunder, great big storm
Come on babe, let me keep you warm
song performed by by Alice Cooper
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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My mother was fortune, my father generosity and bounty
My mother was fortune, my father generosity and bounty; I
am joy, son of joy, son of joy, son of joy.
Behold, the Marquis of Glee has attainted felicity; this city and
plain are filled with soldiers and drums and flags.
If I encounter a wolf, he becomes moonfaced Joseph; if I go
down into a well, it converts into a Garden of Eram.
He whose heart is as iron and stone out of miserliness is now
changed before me into a Hatem of the age in generosity and
bounty.
Dust becomes gold and pure silver in my hand; how then
should the temptation of gold and silver waylay me?
I have an idol such that, were his sweet scent scattered
abroad, even an idol of stone would receive life through joy.
Sorrow has died for joy in him of “may God bind your consolation”;
how should not such a sword strike the neck of sorrow?
By tyranny he seizes the soul of whom he desires; justices are
all slaves of such injustice and tyranny.
What is that mole on that face? Should it manifest itself, out
of desire for it forthwith maternal aunt would be estranged from
paternal [uncle].
I said, “If I am done and send my story, will you finish it and
expound it?” He answered, “Yes.”
A Lost Day
Lost is the day in which you have not found fulfillment in any area: work, private, or social.
Lost is the day in which you have not found a reason to smile: not about others, and not about yourself.
Lost is the day in which you have not been of any service: neither to others, nor to yourself.
Lost is the day in which you have not shared some love with another living creature.
Lost is the day in which you did not dedicate one positive thought to yourself.
Lost is the day in which your laziness prevented you to be constructive.
Lost is the day in which you allowed the setbacks and failures of the world to get the best of you.
Lost is the day in which you allowed your jealousy to conquer your compassion.
Lost is the day in which you undertook any act with a devious intention.
Lost is the day in which your mind prevailed your heart.
Lost is the day in which you allowed material gain to determine your decisions.
Lost is the day in which you sought out a prey among the vulnerable.
Lost is the day in which you discarded empathy.
Lost is the day in which you preferred ignorance, through discrimination of any kind, to embracement of equality.
Lost is the day in which you got lost in backbiting and any other kind of meanness directed toward another.
Lost is the day in which you failed to recognize the lesson in even the most dreadful experience.
Lost is the day in which you ignored the voice of your intuition.
Lost is the day in which you did not prioritize the ones you love over material gain.
Lost is the day in which you lowered yourself to hypocrisy.
Lost is the day in which you deliberately brought pain upon another living creature.
Lost is the day in which you allowed hope to get lost.
Lost is the day in which you forgot where you came from.
Lost is the day in which you forget where you're going.
Lost is the day in which you allowed an estrangement between your mind, your body, and your soul.
Lost is the day in which you were not creative.
Lost is the day in which you lost the connection with the source within...
poem by Joan Marques
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Last Night I Dreamed Of Heaven
LAST NIGHT I DREAMED OF HEAVEN
WRITER HANK WILLIAMS
Last night I dreamed of heaven and I saw my mother there
Standing with all the angels on a golden stair
I thought I heard her whisper welcome home my boy
Last night I dreamed of heaven and it filled my heart with joy
I heard the angels singing songs of peace and rest
And then there was a silence
Each eye looked toward the west
There sat my Saviour on his golden throne
Last night I dreamed of heaven my eternal home sweet home
Last night I dreamed of heaven that land so pure and sweet
And the joy within me made my glad heart weep
I was there with my Saviour free from grief and strife
Last night I dreamed of heaven the land of eternal life
I heard the angels singing songs of peace and rest
And then there was a silence
Each eye looked toward the west
There sat my Saviour on his golden throne
Last night I dreamed of heaven my eternal home sweet home
song performed by by Hank Williams
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Psalm 142
When you're all alone and your back is to the wall
And the floods of darkness overwhelms your soul
His hand is there to catch you when you fall
His eyes can see the devastating toll
And all around your trials come flooding in
And the cry that leaves your heart is heaven sent
You fight the rising tide of fear within
You fear it will destroy your earthly tent
Where is this hand that holds you in the night?
And you wonder if He even sees at all
And all your joy and peace has taken flight
And you wonder if you truly heard His call
My God, my God what has thou forsaken me
I am abandoned, and alone I stand and fight
From this prison I cry to you to set me free
I cry to thee for wings to give me flight
Despite all I see and all that's lost
I surrender heart and mind to you alone
No matter what the price or what the cost
I will cry to thee who sits upon the throne
And suddenly in the cry, a shaft of light
That penetrates the darkness of the night
And I have found that in my darkest hour
That you alone are God, my strong high tower
And so my heart begins to fill with praise
And I will worship you all of my days
And now I see a sky that's O so blue
You did not give up on me, when I gave up on you
poem by Frank McEleny
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Gypsy Joe & Me
We might have slept in a rail yard or camped by the river bank
We fed ourselves from the fruit of the land
And quenched our thirst with rain
We never did allow no roots to grow beneath our feet
Life just had no pattern for gypsy joe and me
All we had was each other and the rags upon our back
The closest thing to a home we new was some abandoned shack
But we had all we needed and the rest we didnt need
Life was free and simple for gypsy joe and me
Now gypsy was my little dog, I found by the road in a ditch
And so I named him gypsy, cause that name just seemed to fit
Oh and joe he was my man, the flower of my soul
Thou he never said he loved me, I just always seemed to know
While standing by the highway, thumbin for a ride
The speeding wheels of a passing car, took gypsys life
I lost him where I found him and his loss was misery
Now theres no more gypsy, theres just joe and me
Well the winter came and the snow did fall
And the night was cold and still
And the rags we wore were not enough
And joe he caught the chill
And he told me how he loved me
And in my arms he went to sleep
Now theres no more gypsy, no more joe, theres just me
While standin here on the edge of this bridge
Lookin down I see
The face of joe and gypsy, lookin back at me
And somewhere in the distance I can hear them callin me
Tonight well be together again
Gypsy, joe and me
song performed by by Dolly Parton
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Gypsy, Joe And Me
We might have slept in a rail yard or camped by the river bank
We fed ourselves from the fruit of the land
and quenched our thirst with rain
We never did allow no roots to grow beneath our feet
Life just had no pattern for Gypsy Joe and me
All we had was each other.and the rags upon our back
The closest thing to a home we new was some abandoned shack
But we had all we needed and the rest we didn't need
Life was free and simple for Gypsy Joe and me
Now Gypsy was my little dog ,I found by the road in a ditch
And so I named him Gypsy, cause that name just seemed to fit
Oh and Joe he was my man,the flower of my soul
Thou he never said he loved me,I just always seemed to know
While standing by the highway,thumbin' for a ride
The speeding wheels of a passing car,took Gypsy's life
I lost him where I found him and his loss was misery
Now there's no more Gypsy,there's just Joe and me
Well the winter came and the snow did fall
And the night was cold and still
And the rags we wore were not enough
and Joe he caught the chill
And he told me how he loved me
and in my arms he went to sleep
Now there's no more Gypsy,no more Joe,there's just me
While standin' here on the edge of this bridge
Lookin' down I see
The face of Joe and Gypsy,lookin' back at me
And somewhere in the distance I can hear them callin' me
Tonight we'll be together again
Gypsy,Joe and me
[email protected]
song performed by by Dolly Parton
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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It's Over Now
The flame of love we had has finally died
Can't take this emptiness it left inside
It's over now
And though I played the role I lost my soul
It's still within your heart
It's over now
It's over now
Shades of blue and purple haunt me
The noise outside my window carries on
Like distant bugles love is very gone
It's over now
It took a part of me, the heart of me
To watch it fade away
It's over now
It's over now
Shades of blue and purple haunt me
Heaven
Heaven is far away
Angels no longer play
I need to take this fear and force it down
And just pretend that you are not around
It's over now
I'll put a Frank Sinatra album on
And cry my blues away
It's over now
It's over now
Shades of blue and purple haunt me
song performed by by Beach Boys
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Un-named Hero
I just couldn’t smile only frown
My life was falling tumbling down
Every night it was the same
But in my heart there’s really no one to blame
My heart was hurting in so much pain
From being broken again and again
The words replayed around my head
I would’ve thought by then my heart be dead
All the sorrow was too much to bear
And slowly no one started to care
I’d lay awake in bed at night
In my life was a fading light
My hero had fallen wounded bad
To watch him suffer made me sad
But how still I call him that?
For he caused my life to become that flat
Yet he remains my hero you don’t get why?
He caused my hopes to soar and dreams to fly
He stood by me when I fell down
When I was lost he made me found
He gave me new eyes to view life
And now I see it with less strife
He is my hero can’t you see?
No matter what he’ll always be
So when I lie in bed at night
I am filled with a different light
A new hope and no despair
He showed me I’ve got Jesus always there
That’s why he is my hero I’m left without a doubt
Whenever I’m in trouble it’ll always get sort out
I smile lift my head and sigh
To my old life I can say goodbye
I been through many up’s and downs
But now it’s all been turned around
So I can stand here today
Confident to say
Thanks to my hero
And tell him
I love you always.
poem by Iizgam French
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Too Late
HOPE? What! hope !—you say there is hope for the long-lost one!
Hope! when the light is out; hope! when the oil is done;
Hope! No, no, good lady! no hope for me, at least;
No home for me but the clammy grave when life has ceased.
Hope! Well, there might have been hope had my mother lived; but, then,
5
God struck her dead, and I was left alone among men.
God knows how I loved her; and shall I never see her again?
Is there no glimpse of heaven for those who are doomed to pain?
Oh, cannot she come and kiss me? Oh, cannot she pray by my side,
As she did long ago on that terrible evening before she died?
10
If she prayed God would hear her, and perhaps—but no;
I'm too old a sinner for mercy—there is nothing for me but woe.
You say that I yet could be saved if I sorrowed for my sin;
That the Lord is at heaven's gate to take poor sinners in!
God knows that I hate my sin, but I feel that it cannot be;
15
I've so often forsaken Him, that He must have forsaken me.
Nay, don't offer a prayer for me, lady, it's only mocking at God:
Who knows but my tired heart still may rest beneath the sod?
For I always loved the sunny fields and the sweet, sweet flowers,
And longed to be pure once again like them, in my better hours.
20
But after I first had fallen the devil opened my eyes,
And I saw that the world knew my shame, and I hadn't the heart to rise;
So I gave up trying to be good, and sank down lower in sin,
Tho' the thought of poor dead mother made me always hate it within.
Oh, many's the night that I've wandered about thro' rain and snow,
25
Wandered about in the street, and didn't know where had to go;
And I've often crept to the river and looked at it, still and black,
And thought how every one spurned me—but something held me back.
I remember how once, when I stopped, half-dead, one rainy day,
To rest on his steps for a moment, the servants drove me away;
30
Drove me away like a dog from the door of the man for whom,
O God! I had given up all in this world and beyond the tomb.
But don't weep at my story, good lady; I'm not worth it living or dead!
Ha, ha! I'm not frightened of Death, nor the devils that dance round my bed:
There cannot be any hell deeper nor fuller of devils and strife
35
Than the hell that burns in my heart, and the fire that eats out life.
poem by Frederick George Scott
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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The Nerve
Im glad I had the nerve to talk to you that day
I could just have easily have let you get away
In that crowded airport, far from my hometown
If I had lost my courage then, you wouldnt be around
Im glad I had the nerve.
And Im glad he had the nerve to get down on his knees
And say I bought this ring for you, wont you wear it please?
My daddy sure touched somethin in my mommas heart somehow
If he hadnt, I sure wouldnt be here with you now
Im glad he had the nerve.
Or I never wouldve lived like this
Or learned like this
Or laughed like this
Or loved like this
Im glad he had the nerve to sail across the sea
My great grand-daddys great grandpa in 1833
He met an indian maiden in the smoky mountain mist
If they hadnt crossed that line, I would not exist
Im glad they had the nerve.
And Im glad he had the nerve, while staring into space
To give this universe a time and a place
With one tiny atom or an adam and an eve
However you look at it, whatever you believe
Im glad he had the nerve.
Or we never wouldve live like this
Or learned like this
Or laughed like this
Or loved like this
Thank God he had the nerve.
And Im glad I had the nerve to talk to you that day
song performed by by George Strait
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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