"They Plan to Leave" - Sun Ra (recitation transcription)

words by Sun Ra
transcript by John Sudduth

"They Plan to Leave"

performance 1981.12.01

[John Gilmore, June Tyson vocals]


They plan to leave this world one day in sundry ships to sail away


 They plan to leave this world one day in sundry ships to sail away

They plan to go to somewhere there in splendid ships, armadas rare


They plan to go to somewhere there in splendid ships, armadas rare

To other planets in the sky without a friendly wave good bye


 To other planets in the sky without a friendly wave good bye

They plan to leave the people here who won't believe the truth they hear


They plan to leave the people here who won't believe the truth they hear

They plan to leave this world forever seeking the kingdom of never-never


They plan to leave this world forever seeking the kingdom of never-never

[Sun Ra's Declamation spoken over the repeated verses above:]

They plan to leave this world one day in sundry ships to sail away


They plan to leave this world one day in sundry ships to sail away
Space shuttles passing through the skies


 Sometimes why don't you wonder why?


Space shuttles blasting out into the sky


 Sometimes don't you think you should begin to wonder why?


They plan to go somewhere there

In splendid ships armadas rare


Plan to go somewhere there, somewhere there in splendid armada space ships rare


 To other planets in the sky


Without saying, without saying farewell, good bye

They plan to go to other planes in the sky 


They're not gonna say farewell, not gonna say good bye till midnight while you're still asleep


They'll blast out into the deep sun time

While you sleep your sleep in the deep dark Babylonian night they'll take flight!

Deep dark Babylonian night

You sleep your sleep

You dream your dream
And you think that all of this frustration and miserableness that you call life is real but you are only

sleeping


Deep dark Babylonian night


Can't you feel that what you call life is not, not real - it is not


This is not life


This dream you dream in this deep dark Babylonian night, this is not life
This is death disguised, disguised as life

You're sleeping in this deep dark Babylonian night and you dare to think this is life?


You're only dreaming and pretending


You're pretending that this frustration, this miserableness, this ridiculousness is life
How could you dare to call your existence life?

Its not life, its death disguised

Its not life, its death disguised


Can't you feel what I speak is real? 


You're dreaming - you've been dreaming a long time


 Dreaming


 I dare to step into your dream to disturb your slumber


 I stepped into the dream but I am real


The dream will have to pay the way


 I do not recognize the dream and the dream does not have to recognize me

What do I care about a dream?

A dream that you're dreaming in this deep dark Babylonian night


 What do I care about these dreams?

They can't do you any good


They can't do me any good if they're not doing you any good


Confusion knocks upon your door

And the button becomes a nightmare


Who will push the button?


 When will they push the button?


Fear grips your mind all the time


 When will they push the button?


 Who'll push the button?


Who's gonna push the button?

They plan to leave, a new thing's about to happen


 A government of the people and for the people and by the people will be replaced

By a government of the leaders and for the leaders and by the leaders

A government of the leaders and for the leaders and by the leaders is on its way


They say that he will return one day


He - He will return and he will be the lord of lords and the king of kings

the lord of lords, the king of kings


What happened to the people?


What happened to the people?


The lord of lords, the king of kings


Its propagated that he will return

As the lord of lords, the king of kings


 The king of kings and the lord of lords

What's gonna happen to the people?

What's gonna happen to the people? when he returns?


When he returns as lord of lords and king of kings


 And lord of lords and king of kings

No mention of the people

Are you a king?


Are you a lord?

A government of the leaders and for the leaders and by the leaders
By the lord of lords, the king of kings

Space shuttles blasting through the skies

I'll tell you a secret - they plan to put the White House on the moon
And the Kremlin on a satellite
Are you going to still sleep and stay earthbound?

Chained to one planet?


Chained to one planet where the only way you can escape is to die?

You dare to say you're free?

You dare to say you know liberty?

You dare to speak of liberty


You dare to say you're free?

You're free? Free?! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Liberty?


Lay down in the dust, you bow down in the grave

Is that being free?
 Is that liberty?


 Lay down in the dust, bow down in the grave


You're nothing but a slave


 A helpless earthbound slave speaking words like freedom and liberty


Then you lay down in the dust

You bow down in the grave 


Yes, you say you're free

You say you know liberty


 If you're free, why do you lay down in the dust, bow down in the grave?

They plan to leave this place of death - this planet


The planets throw shadows

Their shadows cross and this planet is in this valley of the shadows


 Its in this valley while the shadows of other planets cross


 They cross in the cross... cross


Shadows crossing in the cross


Yea though I walk through the valley - the shadow of death


Yea though I walk through the valley and the shadow of death


 That's what you say


The planets throw shadows across each other and this planet situates at that crucial point
You've got to move this planet to another place in the sun


 You must move this planet

This planet is a spaceship


 All you have to do is to move it

Move it over to another place in the sun


And destiny will change for everyone

...

Why is astronauts in spaceships when you can take this whole spaceship Earth and move it
And everybody can go out and see the mysteries of the Omniverse - the Omniverse

What care I for the Universe?


I am the ambassador, the may-emperor of the Omniverse

The emperor bids you welcome


Sail to the heavens, to the Omniverse

Use each universe for a stepping stone... a stepping stone
They plan to leave this world one day in sundry ships, splendid!
Sail away


 Shoulder to shoulder, and man to man


 Fight as men should, march as men should

And fight against the common enemy of all humanity

Shoulder to shoulder, and man to man


 March as men should march as men should

Shoulder to shoulder, and man to man


 March as men should march as men should march as men should

And fight against the common enemy of all humanity all humanity

Namely, namely the enemy DEATH

Shoulder to shoulder, and man to man


 March as men should march as men should


 Be brave, don't be a slave march as men should

And fight against the common enemy, the common enemy of all humanity


 All humanity namely the enemy, the enemy, the enemy, the enemy DEATH

Shoulder to shoulder, and man to man


 March as men should march as men should

And fight against the one who steals your children, steals your mother, steals your father, steals
your friends in the night, in the day, any old time


 Steals them away

Fight against, fight against the enemy who one day will try to take YOU

March as men should march as men should


Shoulder to shoulder, and man to man


 March as men should march as men should


And fight against the common enemy of all humanity, all humanity

Shoulder to shoulder, and man to man


 March as men should march as men should


 And fight against the common enemy of all humanity


 All humanity namely, namely the enemy, the enemy of all humanity, the enemy DEATH!