Great and Spacious

There's a building in the distance standin' high above the groundFull of fine clothes and laughter, and it never touches downNo footing and no cornerstone, no bedrock underneathJust a crowd up in the windows pointin' fingers down at me

And the mist rolled in around me till I couldn't see the pathSo I found that rod of iron, and I held on to it fast

Let 'em laugh from the great and spaciousLet 'em call me what they pleaseI've got both hands on the ironAnd my eyes upon the treeThey can mock me from the windowsWhile their music fills the nightBut I've seen what's underneath that floorAnd there ain't nothin' holdin' it up

Some men let go of that railing 'cause they couldn't take the shameWalked off toward the music, and the mist took 'em the sameI ain't better than a one of 'em, I've felt that pull myself'Cause it's a hard thing bein' laughed at when you're standin' by yourself

But a man who lives for their applause will die by it the sameSo I quit countin' up their voices and I never learned their names

Let 'em laugh from the great and spaciousLet 'em call me what they pleaseI've got both hands on the ironAnd my eyes upon the treeThey can mock me from the windowsWhile their music fills the nightBut I've seen what's underneath that floorAnd there ain't nothin' holdin' it up

I ain't in that building, and I never want to beI'd rather taste the fruit that grows down here beside the treeLet 'em point, let 'em laugh, let 'em do the worst they've gotI was warned about that building — and I heeded them not

Then the great and spacious building fellCame down like it never was at allEvery voice that ever mocked meWent silent in the dust'Cause a house without a CornerstoneWas always gonna fallAnd I'm still standin' by the tree

Still holdin' to the ironStill standin' by the treeAnd the laughin' that was up thereDon't mean a thing to me