All This Time
Ê·Í¡Sting Lyrics

I looked out across the river today.
I took a moment to observe the river that lies before me.

Saw a city in the fog and an old church town where the seagulls play.
Through the fog, I could make out the city and an old town with a church where seagulls were flying.

Saw the sad shire horses walking home in the sodium light,
As I was looking, I saw some gloomy horses strolling down in the light of the streetlamps.

Two priests on the ferry.
On the ferry, I saw two priests making their way.

October geese on a cold winter's night.
In the frigid winter weather, I spotted some geese flying through the air.

All this time the river flowed endlessly to the sea.
Even as I watched, the river flowed continuously towards the sea.

Two priests came 'round our house tonight,
Later that night, two priests came to our house.

One young, one old, to offer prayers for the dying to serve the final rite.
There was one younger and one older priest, both coming to give prayers to those who were passing on.

One to learn, one to teach which way the cold wind blows.
One was there to learn from the other one, who had the knowledge and experience to teach the direction of the frigid winds.

And fussing and flapping in priestly black like a murder of crows.
The two priests were moving around and making commotion, dressed in their black outfits, much like a flock of crows.

If I had my way, take a boat from the river and I'd bury the old man.
In my ideal scenario, I would take a boat on this river and give the old man a proper burial at sea.

I'd bury him at sea.
My preferred choice would be to lay him to rest in the sea.

Blessed are the poor, for they shall inherit the earth.
Those who have little wealth shall be blessed, for they will receive the earth as their inheritance.

Better to be poor than a fat man in the eye of the needle.
It is better to be poor than to be a wealthy man who cannot pass through the needle's eye (as mentioned in the Bible).

As these words were spoken I swear I hear the old man laughing.
As these words were spoken, I could have sworn I heard the old man laughing.

What good is a used up world and how could it be worth having?
What purpose does a world that has already been used up serve? How could it be worth having?

All this time the river flowed endlessly like a silent tear.
All this time, the river flowed continuously like a quiet, sorrowful tear.

Father, if Jesus exists then how come he never lives here?
Father, if Jesus is real, then why isn't he present among us?

Teachers told the Romans built this place.
My teachers told me that the Romans built this location.

They built a wall and a temple and an edge of the empire garrison town.
The Romans constructed a wall, a temple, and a garrison town on the border of their empire.

They lived and they died.
The Romans lived and eventually passed away.

They prayed to their gods, but the stone gods did not make a sound.
The Romans worshiped their gods, but the stone gods remained silent and did not respond.

And their empire crumbles 'till all that was left were the stones the workmen found.
The empire they built eventually fell apart, until only the stones that the workers found remained behind.

All this time the river flowed in the falling light of a Northern sun.
All this time, as the sun set in the North, the river continued to flow unconcerned.

If I had my way, take a boat from the river.
If I could do as I please, I would take a boat from this river.

Men go crazy in the congregations, they only get better one by one.
Men lose their minds when in groups of people, but only recover their senses one at a time.

One by one. One by one by one. One by one.
Individually, one person at a time.