Fear is a Road Sign
By Nonjohn (AKA John Tennison) Copyright 2005
(Written to Commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the First Unitarian Universalist Church, San Antonio, Texas; First performed publicly in San Antonio, Texas, on October 22, 2005)
(Chorus 1)
Fear is a road sign
At a fork in the road
Between wisdom and folly.
Which way will we go?
Fear is a road sign
At a fork in the road
Between happiness and misery.
How will our lives unfold?
(Verse 1)
I’m not afraid to consider
The things you have to say.
I’m not afraid if you change me
180 the other way.
I will keep an open mind
Because I know I might be wrong,
I’m not afraid to let evidence
Change the words to my song.
(Chorus 2)
Fear is a road sign
At a fork in the road
Between wisdom and folly.
Which way will we go?
Fear is a road sign
At a fork in the road
Between happiness and misery.
How will our lives unfold?
(Verse 2)
Freedom is not free,
But the lies of war cost more.
Are you more safe or less safe
Than you were before?
Yes, freedom is not free,
But the lies of war cost more.
Are you more free or less free
Than you were before?
(Chorus 3)
Fear is a road sign
At a fork in the road
Between wisdom and folly.
Which way will we go?
Fear is a road sign
At a fork in the road
Between happiness and misery.
How will our lives unfold?
(Verse 3)
Conspiring politicians have got us in a bind.
Hobgoblins are the consistency of their little minds.
They’re doomed to repeat their talking points.
They can’t think on their feet.
They don’t want us to think for ourselves,
So they simplify and repeat.
They don’t want us to think for ourselves,
So they simplify and repeat.
Some people say the definition
Of “insanity” ought to be
To do the same thing over and over
And expect a different reality,
But that sounds to me like
a better definition for “stupidity.”
(Chorus 4)
Fear is a road sign
At a fork in the road
Between wisdom and folly.
Which way will we go?
Fear is a road sign
At a fork in the road
Between happiness and misery.
How will our lives unfold?
(Verse 4)
Misinformation is the most deadly
Weapon of mass destruction.
Garbage-in gives garbage-out,
And massive death production.
A single generation of misinformation
Can undo the freedoms of democratic nations.
A single generation of miseducation
Can bring down the pillars of civilizations.
(Chorus 5)
Fear is a road sign
At a fork in the road
Between wisdom and folly.
Which way will we go?
Fear is a road sign
At a fork in the road
Between happiness and misery.
How will our lives unfold?
(Verse 5)
Businessmen are dialing for dollars,
While millions of innocents are dying for lies.
Surely there’s a better way
to guarantee good buys.
If we follow the money trail
To find those in the know,
We will learn who fabricates false intelligence.
Their heads are going to roll.
(Chorus 6)
Fear is a road sign
At a fork in the road
Between wisdom and folly.
Which way will we go?
Fear is a road sign
At a fork in the road
Between happiness and misery.
How will our lives unfold?
(Verse 6)
You don’t have to take a leap of faith
To overcome your fear.
You don’t have to believe in anything,
For God to be near.
All you need is good ideas,
And the truth will be here.
I know my nights are numbered,
And my days will soon be through.
I’m prepared for my slumber,
But I’m hoping for a few
More moments of meaning,
And time spent loving you,
Because I know my nights are numbered,
And my days will soon be through.
So I will face that road sign
At the fork in the road
And I’m prepared to choose
The way I must go.