From the recording Bookmark (2004)
(Begin with the guitar tuned down a step and a half (i.e., E down to C#). From there, it’s tuned C#F#G#C#G#C#. An ugly one on paper but not quite as tough as it appears. The bark is worse than the bite.)
I had originally hoped, in my early album planning, that this song could be pulled off with just the guitar and me. This is the quieter, more reflective alternative to the wall of sound that exists on the Miracle of Forgetting version. In a sheer stroke of wit and utter genius, I placed this song as the final track. Brilliant.
Lyrics
The Ending
today came in earnest
with a smile on its face
wry as it was cunning
pure as it was base
now my days are numbered
like the sands in the sea
I held onto hoping
as long as hope held onto me
it came with a thunder
but it made not a sound
it came down like an angel
from heaven to the cold, cold ground
don’t say it’s over when the world’s gone mad
I’ve seen the ending and it’s not so bad
don’t say it’s over when you lose your heart
cause the ending is where you start
the world lost its reason
the sky laid to waste
all that was hopeless
is borne on your face
it hurts every moment
in the fight for your life
keep your chin up hoping
it’s the life of the fight
don’t say it’s over when the world’s gone mad
I’ve seen the ending and it’s not so bad
don’t say it’s over when you lose your heart
I want to know why we fall so hard
and why hope for tomorrow can seem so far away
don’t say it’s over when the world’s gone mad
I’ve seen the ending and it’s not so bad
don’t say it’s over when you lose your heart
’cause the ending is where we start