Why do I lie awake at night
and think back just as far as I can
To the sound of my father's laugh outdoors
To the thought of Sputnik in free-flight?
Before I could fashion my poverty
Before I distrusted the night
I must've known something
I must've known something
Those were the times I live for tonight
Why, why, why, I say Why, Mama, Why?
Why can't I sleep in peace tonight
underneath the satellite sky?
It can't be easy for my children
I'm hollow before my time
It looks like a desert here to me
Where is the promise of youth for my child?
Where are the faraway kingdoms of dreams?
We've been to the moon and there's trouble at home
They vanished in the mist with Saint Nicholas
They lie scattered to the ghettos and the war zones
Why, Why, Why, I say Why, Mama, Why?
Why can't I sleep in peace tonight
underneath the satellite sky
I want to stand out in the middle of the street
and listen to the stars
I want to hear their sweet voices
I want to feel a big bang rattle my bones
I want to laugh for my children
I want the spark to ignite
before they find out what it means to be born
into these times
Why, Why, Why, I say Why, Mama, Why?
Why can't I sleep in peace tonight
underneath the satellite sky?
Written by Mark Heard © 1992 Ideola Music/ASCAP
