BACK-WORDS

(written by Kenneth Cope)

 

Whether carefully begun to scar a name

Or recklessly continued without shame

Self-approval is the underlying plan

Fueled until the fire gets out of hand

Catastrophe, crippling words behind the scenes

Heartless talk that steals tomorrow’s dreams

 

Who’s gonna stop it, who can?

Once it gets started

Spreading, threatening

Has love become lost in the back-words path?

 

Now we pray for peace to keep us from the sword

Then we turn and wound a brother with a word

It’s tragedy, blind to our hypocrisy

We’re wanting love when we’re love’s enemy

 

Who’s gonna stop it, who can?

Once it gets started

Spreading, threatening

Has love become lost in the back-words path?

 

This road we take

Leads us to a bitter fate

Where judgment’s terror stares us in the face

 

Who’s gonna stop it, who then?

When justice gets started

And we’re not ready

Regretting forever, back-words

 

Who’s gonna stop it? We can

It’s now or it’s never, let’s change forever

And welcome love back to the for-words path

 

© 1991 Mohrgüd Music (BMI)