Russians & Americans
Al Stewart

So here we stand at the edge of 1984, bracing ourselves once again,

for the storm approaching is those who long before huddled in caves from

the rain.

The enemy's face is so hard to see,

sometimes it seems that I see him in you,

sometimes in me.

Who can it be?

No use consulting the prophets and leaders,

they all disagree.


Russians and Americans,

here's a song for you, who carry the weight of the world on your head.

Russians and Americans,

tell me if it's true, you really believe all the things that you've said,

the red-white-and-blue running into the red.


>From the wars of Europe, the pilgrim fathers set off with their hopes

and their bond,

some settled down by the coast, others cross the mountains and into the

flatlands beyond.

>From the scramble and dust of Muscovite streets,

merchants develop the trade routes,

and open the Door to the East.

Pioneer waves

choked by the cold breath of winter,

and baked by the heat of the day.


Russians and Americans,

passing through the fire of revolution and coming of age.

Russians and Americans,

driven by desire, two players push to the front of the stage,

the whole world now watches each move that you make.


Two runners caught in the thrill of the race,

the finishing line is as far as the stars that the satellites chase,

why quicken the pace?

Why does it seem that you choose to lose reason

before losing face?


Russians and Americans,

driven by the past, the third world moves in the shadows you cast.

Russians and Americans,

can turn the world to dust, so much to live for, so much undiscussed,

so much in common and so little trust.


>From the streets of Athens and Rome the voices still echo to crumbling walls.

Look to the past and remember that no empire rises that sooner or later

won't fall.

Forever the changes we still have to face,

some people say a country is more and idea than a place.

Though nothing is safe,

we still choose the mark that we leave on the open canvas of space.


Russians and Americans,

maybe you should see into the heart of the world, not its head.

Russians and Americans,

if you want to be the beat of the world, better mind where you tread,

the footsteps of history are left where you step.


So here we stand at the edge of 1984.


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Lyrics by Al Stewart

  (A Child's View Of) The Eisenhower Years   \   A Long Way Down From Stephanie   A Long Way Down To Stephanie   A Man For All Seasons   A Small Fruit Song   Accident On 3rd Street   Almost Lucy   Amsterdam   Angel Of Mercy   Angry Bird   Anna   Anniversary   Antarctica   Apple Cider Re-Constitution   Bad Reputation   Ballad Of Mary Foster   Bedsitter Images   Beleeka Doodle Day   Black Hill   Broadway Hotel   Cafe Society   Candidate   Candy Came Back   Candy Came Back [*]   Carol   Charlotte Corday   Class of '58   Cleave To Me   Clifton In The Rain   Constantinople   Denise at 16   Don't Forget Me   Ear Of The Night   Electric Los Angeles Sunset   Elvis At The Wheel   End Of The Day   Feel Like   Fields Of France   Flying Sorcery   Football Hero   Genie On A Table Top   Gethsemane, Again   Gypsy & the Rose   Hanno The Navigator   Here in angloa   Here in angola   Hipposong   How Does It Happen [*]   I'm Falling   If It Doesn't Come Naturally, Leave It   If It Doesn't Come Naturally, Leave It [Live]   In Brooklyn   In Red Square [*] - Al Stewart, Peter White   In the Dark   Indian Summer   Ivich   Josephine Baker   Katherine Of Oregon   King Of Portugal   Last Days Of The Century   License To Steal   Life And Life Only   Life In Dark Water   Like William McKinley   Loneliest Place On The Map   Lord Grenville   Lord Salisbury   Lori don t go right now   Lori, Don’t Go Right Now   Love Chronicles   Lover Man   Lover Man [*]   Manuscript   Merlin's Time   Midas Shadow   Midnight Rocks   Modern Times   Mona Lisa Talking   Mondo Sinistro   Murmansk Run / Ellis Island   Murmansk Run\/Ellis Island   Murmansk runellis island   My Enemies Have Sweet Voices   Necromancer   Next Time   Night Meeting   Night Rolls In   Night Train To Munich   Nostradamus   Not The One   Old Admirals   Old Compton Street Blues   On the Border   One Stage Before   One That Got Away - Al Stewart, Peter White   One Two Three   One two three 1 2 3   One, Two, Three (1, 2, 3)   Optical Illusion   Out in the Snow   Paint By Numbers   Peter On The White Sea   Post World War Two Blues   Pretty Golden Hair   Rain Barrel   Real And Unreal   Red Toupee   Ringing Of Bells   Ringing of Bells [*]   Roads To Moscow   Roads to Moscow [Live]   Rocks In the Ocean   Royal Courtship   Rumours Of War   Rumours of War - Al Stewart, Peter White   Running Man   Sailing Into The Future   Samuel, Oh How You've Changed   Samuel, Oh How You've Changed!   Sand in Your Shoes   Scandinavian Girl   Shah Of Shahs   Silver Kettle   Sirens Of Titan   Sleepwalking   Soho (Needless To Say)   Soho (Needless to Say) [Alternate Take]   Somewhere in England 1915   Song On the Radio   Song on the Radio [Live]   Songs Out of Clay   Strange Girl   Swiss Cottage Maneuvers   Swiss Cottage Manoeuvres   Terminal Eyes   The Candidate   The Carmichaels   The Dark And Rolling Sea   The Dark And The Rolling Sea   The Ear Of The Night   The Elf   The Gypsy and the Rose   The Last Day of June 1934   The Loneliest Place On The Map   The News From Spain   The One That Got Away   The Palace Of Versailles   The Year of the Cat   Time Passages   Time Passages [Live]   Timeless Skies   Tonton Macoute   Tonton Macoute [*]   Trains   Trespasser   Turn Into Earth   Valentina Way   Warren Harding   What's Going On?   Where Are They Now   Where Are They Now?   Year Of The Cat   You Don't Even Know Me   You Should Have Listened To Al   Zero She Flies

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