Taking Your Life In Your Hands - John Cale

The children are all leaving school today

Mama said, don’t worry, I’ll be back one day

The blue men in uniform smiled and waved goodbye

She was hiding those tears in her eyes

Roll up the history books, burn the chairs

Set fire to anything, set fire to the air

They’re hiding (riding?) to begin and running at the end

'Cause mama said, you take your life in your hands

Taking your life, your life in your hands

But don’t take your life in your hands like I did

I don’t feel so bad, and always look forward with hope

Forward and hope that the children will always be there

Cancel the day, cancel the night

Cancel the day, cancel the night

'Cause who could be watching when she steals and runs away

Full of hysterical laughter, and say

Mama, mama

I’ve left school today

I hope I get to see you in that funny school far away

But those gentlemen in blue, and those in grey

Say I’ll never, never see mama again

'Cause she took those lives in her hands

Yes, she took all those lives in her hands

Yes, she took all those lives in her hands

But let me wonder, what was there left in those hands?