If nothing is given nothing is required sent early to bed the boy never tired alone in the dark he learned not to cry then in his dream he could fall, he could fly (the bird's on the wing there's blood on the thorn) alone in the dark he learned not to cry then in his dream he could fall, he could fly (the bird's on the wing there's blood on the thorn the snail's on the runway a comet is born) It was a careless life in any sense A long way out with no defence Another careless life Another tilt at staying free Blessed are the poor in spirit We'd better be The women fell silent when trouble began they carried the babies they carried the can they carried his cases out to the car waving him off to another small war (everyone thinks and no one knows everyone knows and no one thinks ) It was a careless life in any sense A long way out with no defence Another careless life Another tilt at staying free Blessed are the poor in spirit We'd better be Trawling the desert The whole press-card jive tempting the guns to be sure he s alive dictating impressions for memoirs to come the Sky held its breath the stones were dumb they blew his driver out of the jeep headlines on Sundays make editors weep all these adventures all of these rhymes don't stand a prayer in desperate times (the bird's on the wing there's blood on the thorn the snail's on the runway a comet is born everyone thinks and no one knows everyone thinks and nobody knows) It was a careless life, etc.