Sweet N’ Sufferin’ Place

A child is born 

A child survives 

With luck and love we hope she’ll thrive.

You grow. You follow all the rules.

You ponder geniuses and fools.

But common sense will make its case.

And what you see can’t be erased.

One day it’s stares you in the face:

This world’s  a Sweet and  Sufferin’ place

This world’s a Sweet and Sufferin’ place.

The river’s cold 

The river’s wide

The river keeps you on this side. 

That Milk and Honey would taste sweet 

But heavy chains pull at my feet

Take a breath and bend your knees

In weightless flight begin to soar

The fear and flutter in your chest-

That’s wings of angels come to rest.

Wings of angels come to rest. 

That river’s cold

That river’s deep

And she is glad to see me weep 

That Milk and Honey turns to sand

I can not hold it in my hand

I’ve seen Confusion take the reins 

and Desperation stake it’s claim

The Lust for Power dominates

As dark clouds enter in our gates

This world’s a sweet, the world’s a sweet, the world’s a sweet

A sweet and suffering place, a sweet and sufferin’ place, 

A sweet and sufferin’ place, a sweet and sufferin’ place. 

And there is anguish and there’s pain 

But there is Beauty just the same. 

Too many suffer more than’s fair

Too many haven’t got a share.

But if I measured all the Pain

Alongside every act of Good.  

Then I would have to see such Grace,

Have to see such Grace,

Have to see such Grace!

And I would sing my Gratitude

I would sing my Gratitude.

A child is born 

A child survives

With luck and love,

We hope she’ll thrive.

Do righteous work.

Extend your hand. 

Speak from the heart.

The rest is not for us to understand, 

This sweet.. this world’s a sweet,

The world’s a sweet,

A sweet and sufferin’ place,

A sweet and sufferin’ place,

This world’s a sweet and sufferin’  place,

This world’s a sweet and sufferin’ place.

This world’s a sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet- 

A sweet n’ sufferin’ place