We watched her as she faded away
Back down through thirty thousand days
Like a river flowing backwards or upstream
To the source of everything
How we all clutch onto that thread
We brought with us to find our way through
The darkness ahead
Until everything just reminds us
Of things left far behind us
We hold on to the beginning
Hold on to the beginning
The cities had been all in flame
That summer when the rage came
We were heading home from some great gathering
The boys on the top of the bus
They gave us their badges, their names, they gave us their trust
All the tokens of faith
You found them where you'd put them away
For a moment like today
To hold on to the beginning
Hold on to the beginning
I climbed and climbed to reach the view
Of the hills behind stretching away
In line on line of faded blue
Back to what we first believed in
How we all clutch onto that thread
We brought with us to find our way back
To hold on to the beginning
Hold on to the beginning