Lyrics Mr Sands - Van Der Graaf Generator

Mr Sands

Soon as you like, ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats
In a moment there’ll be a test of your endurance
Stay in your chairs in the event of a dramatic pause
Please be aware nothing gets covered by insurance
One final thing:
Please take the trouble to read through your notes
It’s important that you know where you’ve got to go to
Wait a moment, maybe the usherette’ll show you
Such excitement, these are the hoops you’ve got to go through…
The noises off that turn you on stage whispered from the wings
A stifled cough, a joke that bombs, a smoldering fuse wire string
When Mr. Sands is in the house the alarm bells start to ring
Everything’s in code
In a world we barely know
And the truth is only slowly revealed…
With best intentions I have strayed far off the beaten track
And of attention I displayed a quite spectacular lack
Now Mr. Sands is in the house and the panic button’s smacked
Well, Mr. Sands is in the house: commotion in the stalls
And, from the gods, unruly shouts that echo round the hall
Yes, someone’s let the secret out… the safety curtain falls
And as I look across the stage the thought that first occurs
Is less that we have come of age and more that we’re preserved
To pass our time in different shades of ignorant reserve
Everything’s in code
Till the moment it explodes
We suspend belief, get ready to go
For the playout of the show —
Here it is for all we know
Mr Sands is always ready to roll