The old man stood there thinking
While staring in that old toy shop
With it's carousel still turning round
In front of a music box clock
For what good's a clock without a chime
A useless thing that just keeps time
Recording moments that come and leave
But this clock's chimes struck midnight
Upon a lost christmas eve
And when the final chime had spoken
And the twelfth bell had finally rung
The indecision in the father was broken
He now knew what had to be done
So he got into a yellow cab
And prayed that it might lead
Through all this snow and streetlight glow
To a past he might retrieve
When the taxi dropped him off
At the boarding house hotel
It was a rundown building
With a musty, rundown smell
And he asked for his son
From the hotel's night desk clerk
Who said his son was not there
He was not back from work
When the father said that was impossible
The clerk replied, "I'm not here to debate
But he works at the hospital, just down the block
If you want you can sit here and wait
But he never returns till real late"
Then the father tried asking another question
But the clerk went back to watching his tv
Which was also playing, "how the grinch stole christmas"
And the father mused, "this movie has no sympathy,
Well, at least not when it comes down to me"
Once outside he saw the hospital's entrance
And went to information by the front door
Who confirmed that his son had a job there
And worked up on the seventh floor
So he took the elevator up to that floor
Which was marked "maternity"
And the man knew in his heart that this was a mistake
For his son working here could not be
But the nurse on duty reconfirmed that he did
And since her rounds were about to begin
If he would like to follow her
She would gladly take the father to him
So he followed her to a large dark room
That to him seemed unusually empty
Except for several incubators glowing on the right
Each with a trembling baby
These infants were all extremely frail
And obviously in incredible pain
And this sight cut deep into that father's soul
And he asked the nurse, please, to explain
"these children were born to mothers
Who were addicted to crack cocaine
And these children are born in complete withdrawal
For that drug is still deep in their veins
We can give them no other drugs to ease their withdrawals
Since they are born premature and quite frail
And any form of pain killer
Could easily cause their small hearts to fail"
"and what does my son do here?"
The father asked, "he is not a patient, i assume"
The nurse did not say a single word
But nodded to the far left corner of the room
And there the father saw his son
Who looked like himself when he was a younger man
Rocking back and forth in a rocking chair
A trembling infant held in his hands
And in his arms the child did not cry
But slept to silent lullabies
And his son rocked that newborn back and forth
Until finally, a dream was caught
But still at his rocking, his son faithfully kept
Till that poor child's trembling had also, finally, left
Then the nurse whispered softly
Into the father's ear
Something that a blind man could see
But the father needed to hear
Whispered to him in this room
Filled with mankind's misbegotten
Something that the father had known once
But somehow had forgotten
She said, "it is this way with each of us
We all need to be held, at least twice
Once upon the day that we are born
And once more when we leave this life
Your son has been coming to this place
Since as long as I've been working here
He's never missed a single day
In nearly twenty years
He always arrives promptly on time
But a time card he does not keep
For he never leaves this maternity room
Until every last child is asleep"
Then the nurse noticed the father
Trying to choke back the things he now felt
So mentioning she had to continue her rounds
She quietly excused herself
So he was now alone in the darkness
Between the past and future caught
Not knowing what to do
As his mind flooded with so many thoughts
Some beauty comes too early
While it's moment never waits
And some beauty is always there
But never seen, till it's too late
Look! There is a moment
It has just slipped away
And so we lose our lives
In such ordinary ways
Where do we get our dreams from?
Where do we get our faith?
Is it something that we are born with
Or is it something for which we must wait?
The mist of things we once believed
The childhood truths for which we grieve
And in our lives could we have missed
Those that in the dark, the angels kiss
[What child is this?]
What child is this
Who laid to rest
That I now find here sleeping?
Do angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?
And could this be christ the king
Whose every breath the angels bring?
Could this be the face of god, this child, the son I once carried?
What child is this
Who is so blessed he changes all tomorrows?
Replacing tears with reborn years
In hearts once dark and hollow
Could this be christ the king
Whose every breath the angels bring?
Could this be the face of god, this child, the son I once carried?
In the dead of the night
As his life slips away
As he reads by the light
Of a star far away
Holding on
Holding off
Holding out
Holding in
Could you be this old
And have your life just begin?
(In the light of a lost christmas day)
It begins
(In the light of a lost christmas day)
Tell me how many times can this story be told
After all of these years it should all sound so old
But it somehow rings true in the back of my mind
As I search for a dream that words can no longer define
(In the light of a lost christmas day)
And the time
(In the light of a lost christmas day)
And the time and the years
And the tears and the cost
And the hopes and the dreams
Of each child that is lost
And the whisper of wings
In the cold winter's air
As the snow it comes down
And visions appear everywhere
(In the light of a lost christmas day)
In the air
(In the light of a lost christmas day)
In the dead of the night
As his life slips away
As he reads by the light
Of a star faraway
Holding on
Holding off
Holding out
Holding in
Could you be this old
And have your life just begin
(In the light of a lost christmas day)
It begins
(In the light of a lost christmas day)
It begins
(In the light of a lost christmas day)
It begins
(In the light of a lost christmas day)
It begins
[Narration] The old man stood there thinking While staring in that old toy shop With it's carousel still turning round In front of a music box clock For what good's a clock without a chime A useless thing that just keeps time Recording moments that come and leave But this clock's chimes struck midnight Upon a lost christmas eve And when the final chime had spoken And the twelfth bell had finally rung The indecision in the father was broken He now knew what had to be done So he got into a yellow cab And prayed that it might lead Through all this snow and streetlight glow To a past he might retrieve When the taxi dropped him off At the boarding house hotel It was a rundown building With a musty, rundown smell And he asked for his son From the hotel's night desk clerk Who said his son was not there He was not back from work When the father said that was impossible The clerk replied, "I'm not here to debate But he works at the hospital, just down the block If you want you can sit here and wait But he never returns till real late" Then the father tried asking another question But the clerk went back to watching his tv Which was also playing, "how the grinch stole christmas" And the father mused, "this movie has no sympathy, Well, at least not when it comes down to me" Once outside he saw the hospital's entrance And went to information by the front door Who confirmed that his son had a job there And worked up on the seventh floor So he took the elevator up to that floor Which was marked "maternity" And the man knew in his heart that this was a mistake For his son working here could not be But the nurse on duty reconfirmed that he did And since her rounds were about to begin If he would like to follow her She would gladly take the father to him So he followed her to a large dark room That to him seemed unusually empty Except for several incubators glowing on the right Each with a trembling baby These infants were all extremely frail And obviously in incredible pain And this sight cut deep into that father's soul And he asked the nurse, please, to explain "these children were born to mothers Who were addicted to crack cocaine And these children are born in complete withdrawal For that drug is still deep in their veins We can give them no other drugs to ease their withdrawals Since they are born premature and quite frail And any form of pain killer Could easily cause their small hearts to fail" "and what does my son do here?" The father asked, "he is not a patient, i assume" The nurse did not say a single word But nodded to the far left corner of the room And there the father saw his son Who looked like himself when he was a younger man Rocking back and forth in a rocking chair A trembling infant held in his hands And in his arms the child did not cry But slept to silent lullabies And his son rocked that newborn back and forth Until finally, a dream was caught But still at his rocking, his son faithfully kept Till that poor child's trembling had also, finally, left Then the nurse whispered softly Into the father's ear Something that a blind man could see But the father needed to hear Whispered to him in this room Filled with mankind's misbegotten Something that the father had known once But somehow had forgotten She said, "it is this way with each of us We all need to be held, at least twice Once upon the day that we are born And once more when we leave this life Your son has been coming to this place Since as long as I've been working here He's never missed a single day In nearly twenty years He always arrives promptly on time But a time card he does not keep For he never leaves this maternity room Until every last child is asleep" Then the nurse noticed the father Trying to choke back the things he now felt So mentioning she had to continue her rounds She quietly excused herself So he was now alone in the darkness Between the past and future caught Not knowing what to do As his mind flooded with so many thoughts Some beauty comes too early While it's moment never waits And some beauty is always there But never seen, till it's too late Look! There is a moment It has just slipped away And so we lose our lives In such ordinary ways Where do we get our dreams from? Where do we get our faith? Is it something that we are born with Or is it something for which we must wait? The mist of things we once believed The childhood truths for which we grieve And in our lives could we have missed Those that in the dark, the angels kiss [What child is this?] What child is this Who laid to rest That I now find here sleeping? Do angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding? And could this be christ the king Whose every breath the angels bring? Could this be the face of god, this child, the son I once carried? What child is this Who is so blessed he changes all tomorrows? Replacing tears with reborn years In hearts once dark and hollow Could this be christ the king Whose every breath the angels bring? Could this be the face of god, this child, the son I once carried? In the dead of the night As his life slips away As he reads by the light Of a star far away Holding on Holding off Holding out Holding in Could you be this old And have your life just begin? (In the light of a lost christmas day) It begins (In the light of a lost christmas day) Tell me how many times can this story be told After all of these years it should all sound so old But it somehow rings true in the back of my mind As I search for a dream that words can no longer define (In the light of a lost christmas day) And the time (In the light of a lost christmas day) And the time and the years And the tears and the cost And the hopes and the dreams Of each child that is lost And the whisper of wings In the cold winter's air As the snow it comes down And visions appear everywhere (In the light of a lost christmas day) In the air (In the light of a lost christmas day) In the dead of the night As his life slips away As he reads by the light Of a star faraway Holding on Holding off Holding out Holding in Could you be this old And have your life just begin (In the light of a lost christmas day) It begins (In the light of a lost christmas day) It begins (In the light of a lost christmas day) It begins (In the light of a lost christmas day) It begins Explain Request ×
Lyrics taken from
/lyrics/t/trans_siberian_orchestra/what_child_is_this.html
