I was waking from a slumber, I'd been sleeping like the dead
I had stars inside my vision and a pounding in my head
I was hungry, I was aching, and my brain was full of fuzz
But worst of all I just could not remember who I was
I rubbed my eyes and wondered how it was I came to sleep
On a rock-hard, dusty mattress in the middle of the street.

I believe I caught amnesia, but the details slip my mind
There must have been some warfare or some mayhem of some kind
I laid out on the asphalt, trying to recollect
But all that I could picture was this mean old architect
And I heard the horns a-blaring, I heard the sirens scream
Folks were yelling, "Get a move on! Can't you see the light is green!?"

I struggled for my bearings and to catch a breath or two
The road sign up above me said "Battleground Avenue"
I stared at it and scratched my head when I seen this passing man
I said "Sir, could you please help me to remember where I am?"
He just laughed and shook his head, said "Son, just look around
"There's a Battleground in every American town"

I was needing help real bad and so I found a shopping strip
Some kids were out there smoking, talking shop and looking hip
I asked to bum a cigarette, and all of them refused
They said "we don't tolerate no leeches, man, ain't you heard the news?
I said, "well then where can I catch a bus? I've got to roam!"
They said "We been here since the cows left and they ain't ever coming home."

The voice inside my belly told me first things must be first
So I scrambled for some sustenance before things could get much worse
I hopped into a cafe, crazy neon sign aglow
Said "open 24 hrs, but not all in a row"
The waitress said "we're closing, all I got to serve you, hon,
"Is a bowl of roof tar gumbo and a side of Orwell's tongue

I went outside to vomit in between the yellow lines
but I was rudely interrupted by this posted self-help sign
Said "Did you wake this morning in a storm of mystery?
"If so, come on in, have a talk with the Doc of history"
By the time I found the Address, I was bordering on tears
And I sat inside that waiting room for 15,000 years

The Doctor showed me diagrams and said, "As you can see
"History is a disease that afflicts the memory"
He asked me for my birthday, I told him 1984
He said, "Well there's your problem, it's in the stars, there is no cure"
And as the session ended, I was filled with grief and shame
And the Doc said "Lets get started now, first tell me, what's your name?"

I ran out of that man's office about as fast as I could
Outside, bushes were burning, but they didn't talk too good
I was dying for some rest, I couldn't take the pace no more
So the next place I stepped into was a stationary store
The manager said "take what you like, there's nothing to be bought"
So i snatched a pen and diary to record my fleeting thoughts

I think that it was working, stringing verbs along with nouns
I was starting to recover, I was starting to calm down
Bit by bit, I was piecing things together
When this cop come charging at me, though I didn't know no better
He said I seen you with that lightbulb and I seen you with that pen
And I'm booking you for vagrancy, your mind's a-wanderin'!

He took me to the jailhouse where he dragged me by my sleeves
There were murderers and miscreants and arsonists and thieves
But sitting in the corner, all peaceful and serene
I saw this person and all the dirt beneath their fingernails were clean
And I approached them and asked "Hey what ya in for, what ya done?"
And they said , "I'm a political prisoner but it don't bother me none"

They said "I found the secret to plugging up all these black holes
"To making a little meaning without too much rigmarole
"You must become a gardener, it's just better for your health
"You got to find some place where you can leave part of yourself
"You can't hold onto memories, no matter how you toil
"So set 'em free and let 'em grow and plant them in the soil."

I said "We gotta bust you out and spread your message wide!
"The end times are a-comin', there's hysteria outside!"
They said, "No, I'd better stay here. I know it to be true,
"That in the morning they'll drag another cat in here just like you.
"But you better get a-goin', and see what it's all about
"And no need to break a thing, I got the key, just walk straight out"

So I guess I'll be sticking round this here battleground land
And build a little space that's worth giving a damn
Though the architect is still threatening to undo all I've done
I'm sure I'd find the same thing if I were to run
And I know it might sound strange but it helps to think this way
That there's probably a tomorrow, but there ain't no yesterday