How Long

When you look in to a child's face

You are seeing all the human race

And the endless possibilities there

Where so much can come true

And you think of the beautiful things

A child can do

How long can a child survive

How long if it was up to you

When you think of all the money spent

On defence by the government

And the weapons of destruction we build

We're so sure that we need

And you think of the millions and millions

That money could feed

How long can you hear someone crying

How long can you hear someone dying

Before you ask yourself why

How long will we hear people speaking

About missiles for peace and just let it go by

How long will they tell us these weapons are keeping us free

It's a lie

If you saw it from a satellite

With its green and with its blue and white

The beauty of the curve of the earth

And the oceans below

You might think it was paradise

If you didn't know

You might think it was turning

But it's turning so slow

How long can you hear someone crying?

How long can you hear someone dying?

Before you ask yourself why

How long will it be till we've turned

To the tasks and the skills that we'll have to have learned

If we're going to find a place in the future

Have something to offer where this planet is concerned