Wish You Were Here

by Thomas Anderson

from the album Alright It Was Frank -- And He's Risen from the Dead and Gone off with His Truck

The words tumbled in

Voyager 2 had to send

Outbound from Saturn

In the darkness again,

Sayin' "There's no data to relay

I got nothin' to send --

There's nobody out here

So don't ask me again.

It's empty as a warehouse,

It's dark as a tomb,

It's blank as people's faces

When you walk into a room.

Where are the pulp novel peoploids

We always assumed

Would point out our folly

And its imminent doom?"

The Martians aren't coming down.

They're nowhere to be found.

And when there's nobody around

You gotta stand on your own.

The boys up at Palomar

Polish down the mirrors,

They long at Arecibo

For the music of the spheres,

On the west coast all the psychics,

All the seekers and the seers

Still wait upon the hour

When the fleet at last appears.

But let's turn off the late movie

And call it a night,

I'll shut down the receiver

And kill the runway lights.

I know it's disappointing

But it's gonna be alright,

It's better in the long run

When you fight all your own fights.