Behold the astronaut, the high command
The pinnacle of modern man
Above the sea and sky he stands, unfeeling and unphased
‘Til all the chaos of the universe
The strength of the insane absurd
It throws him back down to the earth, disheveled and disgraced
So you build your crystal palace high up in the sky
And though you won’t triumph, you will try
Behold the astronaut, alone at sea
He crashed into the ocean deep
He’d strap sea turtles to his feet if they weren’t scared of him
Now there’s a whirlpool that’s ripening
The gyre quickly widening
Where falcons cannot hear a thing and astronauts can’t swim
So you build your crystal palace high up in the sky
The rivers of Babylon will never leave you dry
And though you won’t triumph, you will try
Oh, you will try
Behold the astronaut, so far from home
He washed up on a shore unknown
He’d build a tower out of stone, but all he sees is sand
Mistaking confidence for competence
He calls himself an optimist
And builds until the sand is wet and running through his hands
So you build your crystal palace high up in the sky
The rivers of Babylon will never leave you dry
And what would it take to teach the man that he can’t fly?
And though you won’t triumph, you will try
Oh, you will try
