This song (which can be heard on the Music & Videos page of this website) marks the climax of The Anarchist Girl, when an ingrown brother and his sybaritic sister, who have been wasting themselves in different ways, resolve to move beyond their static, self-involved lives and enter a perilous world where nothing is certain. To me this is a choice that continually faces almost all of us, in small ways and large. –J. Linn Allen
STEVIE
YOU CAN MAKE LIFE A PARTY
YOU CAN MAKE LIFE A SHOW
ALWAYS THE FIRST TO GET THERE AND THE LAST TO GO
IT’S A LIFE I KNOW
LATELY IT SEEMS A LIFE I COULD OUTGROW
I’VE WORKED TO SHAPE MY IMAGE
LAUGHING AND UNAFRAID
BIDDING A QUICK GOODBYE TO EVERY MESS I MADE
ALL THE DEBTS UNPAID
LATELY THERE’S BEEN THIS VOICE I CAN’T EVADE
SAYING IT’S TIME TO CHANGE BEFORE MY TIME BEGINS TO FADE
TED
YOU ARE CHANGING JUST LIKE ME
YOU’RE SEARCHING FOR A CLUE
TO FIND SOME SENSE IN WHO YOU ARE,
A PURPOSE YOU CAN CLING TO
YOU MAKE YOUR CHOICE
BUT CAN’T BE SURE
IF WHAT YOU CHOOSE IS TRUE
PERHAPS WE FIND THAT CERTAIN PATH
IT’S ALWAYS HARD TO TELL
WE CARRY TRUTH INSIDE OUR HEARTS
BUT OFTEN FALSEHOOD AS WELL
WE STAKE OUR LIVES,
WE MAKE OUR BEDS,
MAKE HEAVEN OR MAKE HELL
BUT WHEN WE FEEL
THAT WE’VE BEEN CALLED
WE CAN’T IGNORE THE SOUND
WE KNOW THAT IT’S THE TIME TO TURN AROUND
STEVIE
I’VE ALWAYS LIKED TO PARTY
I’VE ALWAYS LIKED TO PLAY
BUT WHEN THE PARTY’S DONE YOU HAVE TO TAKE A CHANCE.
TRY A DIFFERENT DANCE
CHANGING TO MEET THE CHANGES ON THE WAY
TED
WE’LL GO OUT THERE
WE’LL TAKE A CHANCE
YOU AND ME
STEVIE
OR FIND ANOTHER PARTY
TED
NO…WE’LL FIND A WAY TO CHANGE THINGS
STEVIE
AND IF WE FAIL AT LEAST WE KNOW WE’VE GIVEN ALL WE CAN
TED
THE WORLD IS CHANGING ALL AROUND
STEVIE
AND WE CAN’T LIVE JUST GETTING BY
TED
WE’LL FACE WHATEVER COMES
STEVIE
WE’LL TRY TO FIND SOME ANSWERS
TED
AND IF DEATH COMES?
IF DEATH SHOULD PLAY A PART
STEVIE
THEN DEATH IS PART OF HOW WE LIVE
TED
A PART WE CHOOSE FOREVER
STEVIE
THERE’S ALWAYS DEATH
IT’S ALWAYS PART OF WHAT WE DO
TED
WE STEP OUTSIDE
WE DIE OUTSIDE
STEVIE
AND THAT IS HOW
WE LEARN TO LIVE
TED
WE TEST LIFE OUT
WE TRY IT
STEVIE
THE TESTS ARE ALWAYS CHANGING
TED, STEVIE
WE MEET OUR FATES
WE UNDERSTAND
THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES
AND IF WE DON’T MAKE CHANGES YET
IF HOPE IS ALL WE GET
WE’LL GO WITHOUT REGRET
SO WHAT ELSE CAN WE SAY?
TED
LIFE CHANGES EVERY DAY
STEVIE
WE’RE CHANGING EVERY DAY
TED, STEVIE
WE CHANGE THINGS DAY BY DAY.