Down On the Ground - Tommy Shaw

I thought what I was hearing

Was the sound of mission bells

Perhaps it was a mission

Not from heaven but from hell

I lay down my body

On the fertile ground I fell

All the things seemed clear to me

I never felt so well

But when the night was over

And the morning sun burned through

And I listened for the mission bells

But a dissonance rang through

You shook me up

You shook me down

But you won’t keep me

Down on the ground

Your love is strong

But I’ve been down too long

Why you wanna keep on

Doing me wrong

I thought what I was hearing

Was the voice of my old friend

I poured out my feelings

And I felt healed again

I held that door open

And said why don’t you stay

You’re tired and you’re hungry

I thought I heard you say

So you sat down at my table

I closed my eyes as you prayed

While you filled your every pocket

With the living I had made

You shook me up

You shook me down

But you won’t keep me

Down on the ground

Your love is strong

But I’ve been down too long

Why you wanna keep on

Doing me wrong

Be careful who you follow

Be suspicious of the messenger

I was moments from the gates of insanity

I had followed a mirror of my vanity

I stood naked stripped of my humanity

And I cried to the heavens

God get me out of here!

Just this time

Please get me out of here

Be careful who you follow

Be suspicious of the messenger

Who will comfort and divide you

Pretend to be beside you

But he’ll always be a stranger

When you find yourself in danger

When you’re lost and in the dark

Listen to your heart

You shook me up

You shook me down

But you won’t keep me

Down on the ground

Your love is strong

But I’ve been down too long

Why you wanna keep on

Doing me wrong