Ghosts of the Upper Paleolithic Lyrics

started with hammers and we moved to spears
each step punctuated with fear
we went from gunpowder to wiping this whole planet clear
steady driving the herd towards the cliff
tomorrow's starving hunter's gift
haunted by the ghosts of our best mistakes
every outward thrust and every forward stride
progress and our survival collide
the truth's new face is the same old lie
haunted by the ghosts of our best mistakes

fire, water, air, and earth, I am the fool*
burned through the sky and its shield
and salted the roots in every field
like a mother feeding on her yet-to-be-young
is the smoke of convenience
that I've forced into tomorrow's lungs
haunted by the ghosts of our best mistakes

we have met the enemy and he is us**

each of us is at the mercy of a sunrise
regardless of portfolio size
or race or faith or tongue
for we are, every one, parts of a greater sum
and our kingdom has come
but for some problems nature finds solutions
perhaps the next step in our evolution
will find us with no more than eight fingers
lacking the digits to pull a trigger***
stripped of arrogance, filled with foresight
fully understanding there's but one life
and there's never going to be another one