Mother I Climbed

st Fret Intro: On tomorrow's painted wagon, in a yester-dreaming day I rode to Heaven never thinking I'd be back this way Now I'm standing at your doorstep with my halo turning grey Open up your gate, Mari-ana Lay me down in the dark womb of your love Mother I sought the chosen people But I found no one to comfort me Lay me down in the dark womb of your love Mother I climbed the highest steeple I found nothing to believe When they called my faults against the wall, I took my place in line And put my trust in priestly men to break the ties that bind But their straight and narrow highway's just a row of billboard signs Open up your gate, Mari-ana Lay me down in the dark womb of your love Mother I sang the sacred Psalter But no saviour came to comfort me Lay me down in the dark womb of your love I went naked to the altar I found nothing to believe So I set my feet to walking from the sidewalk to the sand In search of any saint or sage who knew the master plan And I wandered every back-road in that broken promised land Open up your gate, Mari-ana Lay me down in the dark womb of your love Mother I kept the plain and simple But no shepherd came to comfort me Lay me down in the dark womb of your love I stood shivering in the temple I found nothing to believe As lightning burns these bridges under, smoke will surely rise And the fables of my innocence blow lazy through the skies When timeless truths reveal themselves as little more than lies Open up your gate, Mari-ana Lay me down in the dark womb of your love Mother I razed the tainted chapel But no angel came to comfort me Lay me down in the dark womb of your love Mother I stormed the Tower of Babel I found nothing to believe So sticks and stones might break this body, words might wound my soul And phantom visions fly me where the faithful fear to go But when this story's over and my sun is sinking low Open up your gate, Mari-ana Lay me down in the dark womb of your love Mother the years pass out of counting But no prophet comes to comfort me Lay me down in the dark womb of your love Mother I climbed the holy mountain I found nothing to believe Mother I climbed the holy mountain I found nothing to believe