From the recording Finally
Charley’s vocals and bass are the stars of this conflicted piece. One of my greatest challenges as an aging adult is dealing with the political changes and contradictions sweeping the country. This song was an attempt to capture the madness with Paul Schafer adding the lyrics to the bridge. Of the songs on the album, this song received the most listens on a relatively obscure music site.
Lyrics
Finally (Part 3): The Madman
(Bridge lyrics by Paul Schafer)
I live in a box with no way out.
I live in a box. My jacket ties in back.
It’s a jungle in here, inside my head.
It’s a jungle in here. It makes no sense.
The madman laughs. The madman cries.
The madman wants to die, die, die.
The madman laughs. The madman cries.
The madman wants you to die, die, die.
It feels truthy, but it’s proven false.
It feels truthy, so it must be so.
You hate everyone who’s not you.
You hate everyone. You hate the truth.
I am the master of nothing that matters. I am a slave to lies and deceit.
The beggars beg and bury the truth, and I’m left searching underneath.
Science and God must coexist, but fake news sings too loudly to ignore.
Look into the darkness. My home, my country has no open door.
There is no path, no truth or light, only chaos to blind the mind’s eye.
But you are you and I am I, and neither knows what happens if we die.
He said to love. You say to hate.
He said to love. You’d send him away.
What Jesus would do, what politicians won’t.
What Jesus would do, gives me hope.
The madman laughs. The madman cries.
The madman wants to die, die, die.
The madman laughs. The madman cries.
The madman wants you to die, die, die.
It’s so important to carry a gun.
It’s so important to use the right john.
Eat the rich. Don’t arm the poor.
Eat the rich. Give thoughts and prayers.
More often than not, I am angry.
More often than not, I am mad.
I hate you.
I am sad.