Lyrics
The big big
(Occupation: Hero)


(Jens Hartmann)

The fire

An open field
Filled with the darkness of a moonlit night
The wood is ready
A stack of timber, nicely piled
The torch held high
The Bard is ready to play his harp

See the torch sink into the pile
Slowly the beams catch flame
A little one, slowly growing
Listen to the crackle
The fire eating through the wood
Reviving it with enormous heat
Red it glows, white the flame
Far to see, the peoples gather
They circle around the magic light
An invisible spark ignites their souls
With foreign thoughts
As the Bard sings his tunes:

'Folks, listen to my tale
Long time ago you began to sell
Your souls to earthly deeds
And forgot the real needs
No longer you believe in unearthly powers
You yourself built higher towers
Than your father's fathers did
On our gods you only spit

But are you happy with the trash
Your call achieves and cash?
In the flame of Beltane fires
You may recall the old desires
Listen to what it tells you
Let it take your heart to lead you
Through your estate's harshness
To find the goddess in the darkness
Of a moonlit night
In your artifical city light'


The wake

John:
Uah - what's this noise?
Slowly pieces fit together. I was asleep and dreamed.
The TV tuned on, but no picture.
What is this?
Biting my nose.
Burning my eyes?
Smoke
Heat
Fire
Oh, my God!
FIRE! ! !


Run

Panic! - Where to go?
Smoke! - Everywhere: Smoke!
Where's the door? - Can't see.- Can't breath.
Smoke! - Everywhere: Smoke!
Must get out - There! - The Door!
l'm out - out on the stairs
Run - Run - Fall
Fire! - Everywhere: Fire!
Get up - Stumble - Run

A voice?

It's not mine
A child's voice
Screaming
FIRE !

Everywhere: Fire!
A small girl - Standlng there - Screaming
Help - I've got to help.
Help myself - No! - Help the girl
Pick it up - Hear me say:
'Don't Panic!' - But I panic
Run - Stumble -Fall
Fire! - Everywhere: Fire!
Down - Down - Down the stairs
Step by step - Round and round.
And finally - There's the door
Escaped


The hospital bed

Silence
Just an electronic blip
Darkness
I have survived
Still can't believe, can't understand what has happened
Slowiy I open my eyes
White linnen, a hospital bed
Slowly I recover
And then the door opened


Entering the media

Nancy: 'Hello, I am Nancy from Channel 4.
And this is John, the hero of the fire!'
John: 'What is this meant to be?'
Nancy: 'Do you know what you've done?'
John: 'I've survived a fire.'
Nancy: 'You rescued a life.'
John: 'Yes, mine.'
Nancy: 'And a little girl!'
John: '0h that one, how is she?'
Nancy: 'She is fine, and you are good.'
John: 'Is that so? l've just run.'
Nancy: 'Look at him, the modest hero.'
All: 'The hero of the day'
Nancy: 'Tune in the next chat on Channel 4
To hear more of the hero John.'


Being hero

John: 'Me? A Nero?
I don't know, but I play the game.
Nancy is nice and this broke the ice
At least, now everybody knows my name
Not only the man from the shop down the street
Asking me for the money he lent me for seed
Everyone is polite to me
And so I liked to see
Nancy again inviting me to her show
With no hesitation I turned to go.


Nancy's Show

Nancy: 'Hello, my friends out at the screens
I hope you will love tonight's scenes
Today I will expose a man
Who has done what you all can
He's one of you.
Don't you think, too?
His house with mouse burnt to ground
To lead the plead we look around
To let you face the ruin's remainings
To hear the newborn hero's aimings.
John, would you tell the audience
The story of your confidence?'

Chorus:
'It is too late to change your fate
We love to see the good man's state
You, the hero our land demands
We put good conscience into your hands'

John:
'Well of cause, sure I will
It began when I was sitting still
Recovering from a long hard day
When a smell alarmed me without delay
And then I sensed the fires heat
The flames were in no way neat
Seeing no chance to put it out
I fled out of the sooty cloud
When half way down I heard a voice
The fright in it left me no choice
But to use the corridor instead the exit door
A little girl it was that I was running for
Helplessly she stood on the step
So I took her out of this trap.'

Chorus

Nancy:
'Now, my friends in your livingroom-chairs
You know the hero of the firestairs
He who spread no tear of fear
Very soon shall reappear
First a few commercial spots
And then more news from the tops.'

Chorus


Master of thought

I can't believe how easy it is
Whatever I do people want it, too
Already I signed commercial contracts
Now I sell things I would never need myself

In the night you watch the Show
Showing out the hero's wark
While in the break commercial spots
Tell them what to think:

'You want to be a hero?
Then listen to what I sell you!
Take the aerosol deodorant
Eat in my favourite restaurant
Drive the car I show you
Read the paper I read, too
Listen to the music I play
Light a cigarette and stay
Drink the best beer on earth
Holiday in the firth of mirth
Stare on the screen of my shoice
Listen to the reason's voice'

Next morning you go shopping
You buy the stuff you think you need
But it's me, in fact, who sells you this
You want to succeed -just as I did
So you do the things I tell you
Buy the stuff I sell you
I am the master of vour thoughts


Falling

A last time I walk the city streets.
A last time I see my smile
An alien face
A strange grimace
Looking down on me.
I approach the bridge
Climbing up the balustrade
Looking on the river's rage

Silence - an inner calmness filling me
Soon l'll be alone again
Have my peace
Soon I shall dream again.
As I dreamed before

Jumping off
Falling
Air rushing by my ears
Endless fall
Pictures - snapshots of my life
Are running through my mind
Silence fills me through and through

I hit the water


Rescue

Distant sirens wake me up
Voices fill the scene around
An amblulance slowing down to stop
Carefully I am bedded on a tray
The last thing I can see before they cary me
Is the reporter questioning a man
It is the one who rescued me
Now he's the champion
I am forgotten
I am alone

I am free


The fire (Reprise)

An open field
Filled with the darkness of a moonlit night
The flames are high
The stack of timber burning down
The harp held high
The Bard is ready to complete his song:

'Feel the power of the earth
The flame not banned into the hearth
The community we have is stronger
Than any of your powermonger
Remember this night wherever you go
Do not think it as just good show
Listen to the crackle
Listen to the circle
Let it give you a glimpse into your soul.'

Remember this night wherever you go
Do not think it as just good show
Listen to the crackle
Listen to the circle
Let it give you a glimpse

Into your soul


Epilogue

The flames are down
The wood is ashes
The crowd dissolves
They leave the scene
The Bard drops his harp
His song is ended