COUNTERCULTURE CABARET  

(YOU NEVER REALLY BLEW MY MIND)

you turned me on, we shared the wine

but you never really blew my mind

     suffocating

     crippling

     stifling palor

     cold war black and white

     industrial gray

subverting an empire

a fortress of lies 

requires a revolution

of ideas

     seduction 

     reaction

     attraction to color

     multi-faceted thoughts 

     a mesmerizing array 

we refused the uniforms

rejected the game

and convinced ourselves the rest of the world

would eventually do the same

strange testament

new sentiments

last chapter

final verse

blinded by a vision

never believing it would end

even as the foundation began to crumble

and ideals unraveled as fast as we fell…

…re-entering the atmosphere

spiraling downward through the clouds

we weren't supposed to crash

but the ground and reality came fast and hard

searching for survivors

we found ourselves among the wreckage

victims of our own delusion

stricken and confused by our unexpected demise

apparently we were far more reckless than wise

the summer of love

was all very fine

but you never really blew my mind

(you never really blew my mind)

new testament

strange sentiments

lost chapter

opening verse

through new bohemia 

blew winds of change

where poets spoke in dangerous rhymes

and minstrels played rhythms 

both exotic and strange

soon the seekers misfits outcasts and dreamers

wandered in from the rain

and though the establishment fought us

every step of the way

it felt safe and welcoming

we wanted to stay

deep into those neon nights

whose warm inner lights  

illuminated an emerging day

we belonged

empowered

unafraid

counterculture cabaret

dancing spinning twisting twirling dripping droning flowing swirling

blending melting drifting riding changing chancing glancing gliding

swinging swaying sliding turning rising falling glowing burning

floating flying peaking flashing trailing churning landing crashing

tasting wasting wanting feeding craving crawling begging needing

chanting ranting raving screaming singing sighing crying dreaming

asking telling wanting taking touching feeling loving making

hearing looking seeking seeing giving knowing thinking being

counterculture cabaret

where the ministers of cool

preached and prayed

the gospels of resistance 

against the man’s oppressive insistence 

so from the norm we strayed

while doubting ignoring bending breaking the rules

meant to kept us in our place

they didn't like the way we looked

claimed there was a price to pay

we grew our hair

and dared to dare

enveloped in electric haze

we belonged 

empowered 

unafraid

counterculture cabaret

we changed the world, had a hell of a time

but you never really blew my mind

(you never really blew mind)