James Isaak: Songs

A leper left his colony and bought a little house
he worked and he prayed and he slaved and he saved
he played it straight and true
a hamlet in the hills with skies so blue and grass so green
and butterflies flappin and swirlin in the breeze
a sign outside the tiny town said welcome one and all
travelers and tinkers and the tired and the poor
to those who come here to find peace a shelter from the storm
forget all of your troubles let us build a better world

The leper thought a place like this would surely be for him
and happy to find peace at last he set to settling in
the neighbors came from all around to see who’d come to town
embrace him as a brother to the fold that he had found
they gathered round his house and then they knocked upon the door
with words of welcome on their lips and songs to soothe his heart
the door it opened wide and then the leper stepped outside
bundled up in bandages and rags around his eyes
he raised his hand in greeting and the sores were on his skin
and all the people gathered round were speechless seeing him

No words of welcome did they speak nor look into his eyes
all around was silence save the sound of a baby’s cry
the folk they left him standing there looked down and walked away
around the town the shutters closed the sky was turning grey
the leper left that night and noone knows to where he went
they speak of him in whispers as they pass the house he left
outside the town the sign still stands that says welcome one and all
travelers and tinkers and the tired and the poor
to those who come here to find peace a shelter from the storm
forget all of your troubles let us build a better world



Lyrics copyright 2005 James Isaak