A Question Of Balance, 1970

Decca Records
Cover painting: Phil Travers


Question
(Justin Hayward)
Why do we never get an answer
When we're knocking at the door?
With a thousand million questions
About hate and death and war.

It's where we stop and look around us
There is nothing that we need.
In a world of persecution
That is burning in it's greed.

Why do we never get an answer
When we're knocking at the door?
Because the truth is hard to swallow
That's what the wall of love is for.

It's not the way that you say it
When you do those things to me.
It's more the way that you mean it
When you tell me what will be.

And when you stop and think about it
You won't believe it's true.
That all the love you've been giving
Has all been meant for you.

I'm looking for someone to change my life.
I'm looking for a miracle in my life.
And if you could see what it's done to me
To lose the the love I knew
Could safely lead me through.

Between the silence of the mountains
And the crashing of the sea
There lies a land I once lived in
And she's waiting there for me.

But in the grey of the morning
My mind becomes confused
Between the dead and the sleeping
And the road that I must choose.

I'm looking for someone to change my life.
I'm looking for a miracle in my life.
And if you could see what it's done to me
To lose the the love I knew
Could safely lead me to
The land that I once knew.
To learn as we grow old
The secrets of our souls.

It's not the way that you say it
When you do those things to me.
It's more the way you really mean it
When you tell me what will be.

Why do we never get an answer
When we're knocking at the door?
With a thousand million questions
About hate and death and war.

It's where we stop and look around us
There is nothing that we need.
In a world of persecution
That is burning in it's greed.

Why do we never get an answer
When we're knocking at the door?

How Is It (We Are Here)
(Mike Pinder)
How is it we are here, on this path we walk,
In this world of pointless fear, filled with empty talk,
Descending from the apes as scientist-priests all think,
Will they save us in the end, we're trembling on the brink.

Men's mighty mine-machines digging in the ground,
Stealing rare minerals where they can be found.
Concrete caves with iron doors, bury it again,
While a starving frightened world fills the sea with grain.

Her love is like a fire burning inside,
Her love is so much higher it can't be denied,
She sends us her glory, it's always been there,
Her love's all around us, it's there for you and me to share.

Men's mighty mine-machines digging in the ground,
Stealing rare minerals where they can be found.
Concrete caves with iron doors, bury it again,
While a starving frightened world fills the sea with grain.

How is it we are here
How is it we are here
How is it we are here

And The Tide Rushes In
(Ray Thomas)
I've been searching for my dream
A hunderd times today
I build them up, you knock them down,
Like they were made of clay,

Then the tide rushes in
And washes my castles away.
Then I'm really not so sure
When side of the bed I should lay,
I should lay...

You keep looking for someone
To tell your troubles to,
I'll sit down and lend an ear
Yet I hear nothing new.

Then the tide rushes in
And washes my castles away.
Then I'm really not so sure
When side of the bed I should lay,
I should lay...

Blackbird sitting in a tree
Observing what's below
Acorns falling to the ground,
He'll stay and watch them grow.

Don't You Feel Small
(Graeme Edge)
Ask the mirror on the wall
Who's the biggest fool of all,
Bet you feel small,
It happens to us all.

See the world
Ask what's it for,
Understanding, nothing more,
Don't you feel small,
It happens to us all.

Time is now to spread your voice,
Time's to come there'll be no choice,
Why do you feel small,
It happens to us all.

Look at progress,
Then count the cost,
We'll spoil the seas
With the rivers we've lost.

See the writing on the wall,
Hear the mirror's warning call.
That's why you feel small,
It happens to us all.

Ask the mirror on the wall
Who's the biggest fool of all,
Bet you feel small,
It happens to us all.

Tortoise And The Hare
(John Lodge)
You know he's moving fast,
Be he's still going slow,
He's ahead in the race,
And there is not far to go,
And your load is so heavy
And your legs want to rest.
It's all right, it's all right, it's all right.

You think he's way up in front
But he's so far behind.
He's asleep in the grass,
And he's run out of time.
While your load was so heavy
You never wanted to stop.
It's all right, it's all right, it's all right.

Your friend is heavy
But he was ready
And never stopped for a while
And while you were sleeping
He went on keeping the final line in his mind.
It's all right, it's all right, it's all right.

It's all right, it's all right, it's all right.
Your friend is heavy
But he was ready
And never stopped for a while
And while you were sleeping
He went on keeping the final line in his mind.
It's all right, it's all right, it's all right.
It's all right, it's all right, it's all right.
It's all right, it's all right, it's all right.
It's all right, it's all right, it's all right.
It's all right, it's all right, it's all right.

It's Up To You
(Justin Hayward)
When the breeze between us calls, love comes and lingers into our lives,
And the leaves begin to fall, you point your finger at me.

I love you-
I love you-

In the sadness of your smile love is an island way out to sea,
But it seems so long ago we have been ready trying to be free.

And it's up to you,
Why won't you say?
Make our lives turn out this way.
If they knew, that we have got nothing to lose,
No reason to hide from what's true.
In the world of me and you
All is forgotten when we're inside
And the words that pass us by,
I am not listening, all of it's lies.

And it's up to you,
Why won't you say?
Make our lives turn out this way.
If they knew, that we have got nothing to lose,
No reason to hide from what's true,
That we have got nothing to lose.

Minstrel's Song
(John Lodge)
Words a simple song
A minstrel sings
A way of life in his eyes
Hear the morning call of waking birds
When they are singing, bringing
Love - love.
Everywhere love is all around,
Everywhere love is all around.

Now the winter's gone
Cold wind has blown
The endless stream in our lives
Where the minstrel sings
This simple song
He's always bringing, singing,
Love - love.
Everywhere love is all around,
Everywhere love is all around.

Listen to the one
Who sings of love.
Follow our friend,
Our wandering friend,
Listen to the one,
Who sings of love.
Everywhere love is around,
Around, around.

Here the nations sing
Our minstrel's song,
As he walks by in their lives
Soon the spring will come,
And everyone will all be singing, bringing
Love - love
Everywhere love is all around,
Everywhere love is all around.

Listen to the one
Who sings of love.
Follow our friend,
Our wandering friend,
Listen to the one,
Who sings of love.
Everywhere love is around,
Around, around.

Dawning Is The Day
(Justin Hayward)
Rise, let us see you,
Dawning is the day,
Miss, misty meadow,
You will find your way,
Wake up in the morning to yourself and leave this crazy life behind you.
Listen, we're trying to find you.

Flow to the sea,
You know where to go,
Still we are free,
No one tells the wind which way to blow.
Wake up in the morning to yourself,
Open your eyes and start to be you.
Listen, we think we can see you.
Baby there's no price upon your head,
Sing it, shout it.
Now the angry words have all been said.
Do it, don't doubt it.

So rise, let us see you,
Dawning is the day,
Miss, misty meadow,
You will find your way,
Wake up in the morning to yourself, open your head and look around you.
Listen, we think we have found you.

Melancholy Man
(Mike Pinder)
I'm a melancholy man, that's what I am,
All the world surrounds me, and my feet are on the ground.
I'm a very lonely man, doing what I can,
All the world astounds me and I think I understand
That we're going to keep growing, wait and see.

When all the stars are falling down
Into the sea and on the ground,
And angry voices carry on the wind,
A beam of light will fill your head
And you'll remember what's been said
By all the good men this world's ever known.
Another man is what you'll see,
Who looks like you and looks like me,
And yet somehow he will not feel the same,
His life caught up in misery, he doesn't think like you and me,
'Cause he can't see what you and I can see.

The Balance
(Words - Graeme Edge, Music - Ray Thomas)
After he had journeyed,
And his feet were sore,
And he was tired,
He came upon an orange grove
And he rested
And he lay in the cool,
And while he rested, he took to himself an orange and tasted it,
And it was good.
And he felt the earth to his spine,
And he asked, and he saw the tree above him, and the stars,
And the veins in the leaf,
And the light, and the balance.
And he saw magnificent perfection,
Whereon he thought of himself in balance,
And he knew he was.

Just open your eyes,
And realize, the way it's always been.
Just open your mind
And you will find
The way it's always been.
Just open your heart
And that's a start.

And he thought of those he angered,
For he was not a violent man,
And he thought of those he hurt
For he was not a cruel man
And he thought of those he frightened
For he was not an evil man,
And he understood.
He understood himself.

Upon this he saw that when he was of anger or knew hurt or felt fear,
It was because he was not understanding,
And he learned, compassion.

And with his eye of compassion.
He saw his enemies like unto himself,
And he learned love.
Then, he was answered.

Just open your eyes,
And realize, the way it's always been.
Just open your mind
And you will find
The way it's always been.
Just open your heart
And that's a start.