Lyrics Until Olympius Returns - The Mountain Goats

Until Olympius Returns

Go through the motions
Every day out in the square
Listen for the hidden rhythms on the air
Nod in agreement when the tyrant holds court
Look for a beacon from the north
Protect yourself
Vouch for every member of the team
This is just a momentary ripple in the stream
Join in the rebuilding
Sing loudly at your labor
Make friends with the new guys
Be nice to your neighbor
Profess keen interest in the welfare of the state
Taste everything they feed you
Say it tastes real great
Spit it down your sleeve
Every time you get the chance
This is just a brief improvisation in the dance
Raise up the columns
Take the statues down
Praise the columns
Spread the word around town
Behold the temple where the old one stood
Is it not a thing of beauty
Don’t it make you feel good
Is it not a big improvement on the way things used to be
Is it not a stately beacon for the whole world to see
We will be right here
On the day it finally burns
Everybody hold a spot
Until Olympius returns
Yeah!