(Brian Woodbury)
Why can’t it be like it was
when our cassettes hit rewind,
Back when the future was ours
and President Nixon resigned.
Things were all starting to change
“The senate approves E.R.A.”
We finally left Vietnam.
People said, “Have a nice day.”
Why can’t it be like it was?
Why can’t it be like it was going to be?
Why can’t it be like it was?
The world we all thought we could see, like it was.
Women and men could be friends.
Everyone claimed to be bi.
I’m okay, you’re okay too.
On the street, people got high.
We’d switch to meters and grams.
Legalize victimless crime.
We’d solar power the world.
There was still plenty of time.
Why can’t it be like it was?
Why can’t it be like it was going to be?
Almost just wasn’t enough.
Though everyone seemed to agree that it was.
It’s not that I’d choose to live just like they used to somehow, somehow…
But it’s not even close to what it was supposed to be by now.
We started saving the whales.
No more nukes not far behind.
It was all gonna come true,
When President Nixon resigned.
Why can’t it be like it was?
Why can’t it be like it was going to be?
Just ’cause the goin’ got tough,
we coulda held on, couldn’t we?
Why did we have to give up?
Couldn’t it be like it was going to be?
Let’s start from where we left off
by setting our old future free.
’Cause if we try, why can’t it be like it was?