Visit the
Official arK website

I can see storm clouds gather ahead
Winter's upon us, the summer is dead
I had a vision to get out of here
Seldom religion had entered my mind
Tried turning an eye, but the eye wasn't blind
I had a mission, the omens were clear

Over and over and over again
Paradise lost to the errors of men
Fading the rainbow and losing the gold
To strengthen the weakness, born of old

Voices inside me say, "you understand,
There's plague in the soil, there's danger on land
Safe is the water, hope is the sea"
"Seek out survivors, select two by two
Take one empty vessel for your human zoo"
"Yours is the conscience", the voices tell me

Colder and colder the stark winds of change
Blowing old memories out of our range
Crushing resistance to peddle revenge
A natural holocaust, a natural end

Survival pulls the people to the water
The water to the river, to the open sea
Locked away, the secret to the future
The future lies within the hand that holds the key

Shall I tell, or hide away for ever
The knowledge I may never have to give or take
Choosing life, the sister over brother
One above the other for the other's sake
I'm hoping, I'm praying that I may wake up soon

Should I take, the crippled or the healthy
The poor or the wealthy, the black or white
Mine to make, the clinical incision
The surgical division of wrong or right

Shall I tell, or hide away for ever
The knowledge I may never have to give or take
Choosing life, the sister over brother
One above the other for the other's sake
I'm rolling, I'm swaying, I turn to meet the end
Now that I'm staying, this is who I send

© 1986, Music: ARK, Lyrics: Ant Short

First featured on ARK's first cassette single, this re-recording gives the song a much needed breath of life, closer to the live performance. For the definitive version, it should always be viewed live. The song was written about the eve of a nuclear war, and if you had the opportunity to play God who would you save?

The visual aspect of the song centred around "Deadie", basically Ant with a fright mask and tattered coat, looking as though emerging from a nuclear holocaust. Very dramatic, especially when the strobes were going full pelt. After a while everybody knew Ant was behind the mask (* in-joke), so it was intended to get Mikey or myself to dress up occasionally, and then have Ant run on from the opposite side of the stage. Alas we never got it together, but I'm sure the die-hard fans would have enjoyed it.