Every generation tries to save the world
We believed we fixed a lot, but we didn't have a clue
Whatever we fix
up pops something new.
At times we have no clue what the hell to do
Things no one has thought of are suddenly a thing
Here you go kids, it's your turn to try to fix this
It's a never ending fight against ignorance and prejudice
It's easy to give up when there's no end in sight
But we keep on trying
can't give up the fight
We go on and on and on and on
Yeah we have to keep on trying
[Chorus]
Soviet Union, Berlin wall, Pac-Man is here and smallpox is gone.
John Lennon is killed but Reagan survives
Way too many wars, famine and AIDS.
A shuttle explodes, Michael's Thriller is a killer and purple rain is hot
Earthquakes, volcanoes and Polish strikes.
Nuclear disaster, chemical attacks
The 80s were messy, but the Simpsons were born and Halley's comet came back
yeah, yeah, that's right
[Verse]
Soviet fell apart and the wall came down
We thought we were on our way to happier times
As people danced in the streets , the internet was starting up
And with it came problems no one ever had thought of
As we put out one fire, the next one starts
We can stand down and watch everything burn down or at least grab a bucket and pour some water out
Those buckets are small but what else can you do
You gotta try, can't let evil get to you
Then we pass the buckets to the next in line
We hope the kids can learn from the mistakes we've done
and try to make a better job for those yet to come
[Bass drop]
[Chorus]
Big Mac comes to Moscow, Mandela is out, more earthquakes, volcanoes, those we can not stop.
Germany unites, the worldwide web takes off, assassinations, serial killers and civil wars.
Riots in L.A., earth summit, hurricanes, Microsoft
World trade center bombs, sect in Waco, bombs in India, Forrest Gump.
Escobar is gunned down, NAFTA is created, funeral in North Korea, Estonia goes down.
Sarin gas in Japan, Bosnian war is out of hand.
Windows 95 is a go, hello Dolly, the first clone, DVD and Taliban
The 90s are busy. A lot going on.
Now we have Harry Potter and Pokémon
Putin comes to power before the Millennium ends
The progress in Russia stops at his command
Putin is happy that he stopped it all in time
And still today he's dancing like it's 1999
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
[Outro]
Billy Joel wrote a list. I added some more. I can keep on going , but I'm running out of room.
Billy's generation didn't start the fire and neither did ours.
The fire's always been there
It will stay lit for generations to come
So we have to keep going
On and on and on and on
Lost on the spectrum
