This song was written specifically to serve as a replacement for Brighter Than Today for if/when we needed one. As such, the two often have a bit of tension about where they go. At NYC2017 and NYC2019 we tried relieving that tension with slides, declaring “dawn” at the end of Brighter Than Today and increased the lighting throughout Endless Lights.
An alternative we tried in NYC2018 is to split this into Endless Lights Above Me (the first verse) in Twilight and Endless Lights Around Me (the other two verses) in Morning. There was some pushback and it didn’t fit the rest of 2019 as well, so we reverted it.
At NYC2019 we alternated singers on the verses and had both for the choruses, which worked well (live audio recording in the files section).
NYC2016 performance is on Youtube
This song is available for sale via bandcamp in the 2015 album.
Mama's been waiting, huddled out - side.
Brother is quietly holding her tight
Hurrying home and I hope there's still time for
One... more... night...
Slowly she turns... opens her eyes
Struggles to stand point to the sky
Barely can breathe but she's telling the stor-ies
One... last... time...
And she whispers of hunters and dra-gons and gods
Wanderers roaming the stars up a - bove
Holding her hand in that moment I wonder,
Can't help but wonder at all... those...
End... less... lights... burning with
Un... told... sto-ries, each of them
One... more... reason to wonder
Is anyone out there,is anyone out there?
anyone out there tonight
Father is waiting for sister and me
Thousands of miles away, over the sea and we're
Flying as fast as the Boeing'll carry us
One... last... time...
Thinking of stories he told from the war
Terrible jokes that he made us endure
Daylight is ending, the plane is descending
Just... in... time... ... as the
clouds part around us, a dazz-l-ing city
A ppears like a jewel in the night...
And I look at our home and its lights all a - glow'n and I
Can't help but wonder at all.. those...
End... less... lights, burning with
Un... told... sto-ries, each of them
One... more... reason to wonder
Is anyone out there, anyone out there?
End... less... night cradling
Count... less... voices, reaching
A cross.. the vast-ness...
With beau-ti-ful stories, lasting as long as they
can...
Beau-ti-ful stories, lasting as long as they
can...
Grandma's been waiting for clues in the dark, and I'm
Journeying millions of miles to take part.
And finally I see her glint in the viewing port,
Right... on... time...
Weightless em brace as the airlock re- seals,
Space station turning and slowly re- veals:
Rows upon rows of her telescopes listening
Deep... through... time... C F
And maybe there's some kind of somebody o-ut there
Listening in on our radio calls
Or maybe there's not there's just one pale blue dot to give
Meaning and beauty and worth to it all.
But holding her hand in that moment I wonder,
Can't help but wonder at all wonder at all... those...
End... less... lights, burning with
Un... told... sto-ries, each of them
One... more... reason to wonder
Is anyone out there... anyone out there?
End... less... night cradling
Count... less... voices, reaching
A cross... the vast-ness...
With beau-ti-ful stories, lasting as long as they
can...
beau-ti-ful stories, lasting as long as they
can...
beau-ti-ful stories, lasting as long as they long as they
can
