Was it summer when the river ran dry,
Or was it just another dam.
When the evil of a snowflake in June
Could still be a source of relief.
O how I love you, I once cried long ago,
But I was the one who decided to go.
To search beyond the final crest,
Though I'd heard it said just birds could dwell so high.

So I pretended to have wings for my arms
And took off in the air.
I flew to places which the clouds never see,
Too close to the deserts of sand,
Where a thousand mirages, the shepherds of lies
Forced me to land and take a disguise.
I would welcome a horse's kick to send me back
If I could find a horse not made of sand.

If this desert's all there'll ever be
Then tell me what becomes of me.
A fall of rain?
That must have been another of your dreams,
A dream of mad man moon.

Hey man,
I'm the sand man.
And boy have I news for you;
They're gonna throw you in gaol
And you know they can't fail
'Cos sand is thicker than blood.
But a prison in sand
Is a haven in hell,
For a gaol can give you a goal
[and a] goal can find you a role
On a muddy pitch in Newcastle,
Where it rains so much
You can't wait for a touch
Of sun and sand, sun and sand...

Within the valley of shadowless death
They pray for thunderclouds and rain,
But to the multitude who stand in the rain
Heaven is where the sun shines.
The grass will be greener till the stems turn to brown
And thoughts will fly higher till the earth brings them down.
Forever caught in desert lands one has to learn
To disbelieve the sea.

If this desert's all there'll ever be
Then tell me what becomes of me.
A fall of rain?
That must have been another of your dreams,
A dream of mad man moon.

Ehi uomo,
Sono l'uomo sabbia. (*)
E, ragazzo, ho notizie per te;
Ti cacceranno in prigione
E sai che non possono fallire
Perchè la sabbia è più spessa del sangue.
Ma una prigione nella sabbia
è un rifugio nell'inferno,
Perchè una prigione può darti una prigione
[e uno] scopo può trovarti un ruolo
Su un campo fangoso a Newcastle,
Dove piove così tanto
Non puoi aspettare un tocco
Del sole e della sabbia, sole e sabbia?

Nella valle della morte senza ombra
Pregano per nubi e pioggia,
Ma per i molti che stanno sotto la pioggia
Il paradiso è dove splende il sole.
L'erba sarà sempre più verde finchè i gambi diventeranno marroni
E i pensieri voleranno sempre più alti finchè la terra li porterà giù.
Intrappolati per sempre nelle terre del deserto, uno deve imparare
A non credere al mare.