Here It Comes

Next
 Stage
 In the mystery of the human development
 Is that of
 Old age
 Coming on
 Just about when you learn
 How to do
 What they have been trying to teach you
 You begin to fumble
 And then you have to
 Pull yourself together
 And for another few years
 Act as though
 You still could do it
 And then everybody else begins to see
 That he's not doing so well
 They put another waiter in
 To take over the job for you
 And
 That kind of thing
 You are gradually
 Eased out
 You are gradually
 Eased out
 The first half of life
 When there is a knock on the door
 You think
 'Here it comes'
 'Here it comes'
 And the last half of life
 When there is a knock on the door
 You think
 'Here it comes'
 'Here it comes'
 In other words
 The first function
 Of the
 Local social mythology
 Was to
 Bring you from childhood
 Dependency
 To responsibility
 In terms
 Of the social demand
 And then just about when you are
 Beginning to feel good about it all
 The society that has said
 You've got to do what we want
 Begins to say
 Well
 It looks as though you can't do what we want
 So
 You are on your own
 Then you have what's called a nervous breakdown
 The first half of life
 When there is a knock on the door
 You think
 'Here it comes'
 'Here it comes'
 And the last half of life
 When there is a knock on the door
 You think
 'Here it comes'
 'Here it comes'
 The
 Next problem then
 In a mythological order
 That is going to take care of us
 Is to tell us what to do with our psyches
 When that begins to happen
 The economic problem isn't the main one
 Not that somebody should
 You know
 Give you a fishing rod
 And send you out fishing
 And then have dinner for you when you come home
 It's what are you gonna do?
 With that
 Power inside you
 What are you gonna do?
 With that
 Power inside you
 What are you gonna do?
 With that
 Power inside you
 What are you gonna do?
 With that
 Power inside you
 What are you gonna do?
 With that
 Power inside you
 The first half of life
 When there is a knock on the door
 You think
 'Here it comes'
 'Here it comes'
 And the last half of life
 When there is a knock on the door
 You think
 'Here it comes'
 'Here it comes'
 You've become
 Somewhat
 Aware
 Of the world
 Of the mystery of the world
 And you just don't want to go doodling
 Along with silly little children's tasks
 And that's not what you're
 Worth
 It's not what you are ready for
 There are problems to face
 The most challenging one
 Is death
 Man is the only animal that knows he's going to die
 And as soon as you fumble that ball
 It's coming
 It's coming
 The first half of life
 When there is a knock on the door
 You think
 'Here it comes'
 'Here it comes'
 And the last half of life
 When there is a knock on the door
 You think
 'Here it comes'
 'Here it comes'
 So
 We find
 This
 Wonderful problem
 And mythologies
 In general
 The religions
 Have served it
 They have provided
 Images
 Tasks
 Discipline
 That carry the child
 From
 Childhood dependency to responsibility
 Rather simple responsibilities
 Those that society says
 You've got to
 Accept
 And then
 They've provided
 A way out
 They tell you
 That daddy
 Will beat a bear
 And you're going back home
 Now this isn't quite enough anymore
 Either
 Is it any wonder that our clergymen
 Look a little bit anxious these days?