I Wish Most 1000 Things

I WISH MOST A THOUSAND THINGS
Lyrics and Music by Nina Mankin

I ASKED ALL MY FRIENDS WHAT WISH THEY WOULD WISH
IF THEY COULD WISH ONE WISH FOR THE WORLD
SOME OF THEM LAUGHED AND SOME SHOOK THEIR HEADS
BUT I WAS IMPRESSED WITH WHAT SOME OF THEM SAID

I WISH MOST A THOUSAND THINGS
NO CHILD SHOULD LAY DOWN IN HER BED
WITHOUT SHELTER AND WITHOUT BEING FED
NO ONE SHOULD BE RUN FROM THEIR HOME
THAT WE CAN SPEAK IN OUR OWN NATIVE TONGUE
NO PARENT SHOULD WATCH THEIR CHILD DIE
FROM STARVATION DISEASE OR FROM CRIME
AND THAT PEACE IN THE WORLD RISES UP LIKE ON WINGS
I WISH MOST A THOUSAND THINGS

I WISH MOST A THOUSAND THINGS
THAT BEFORE ACTS OF VIOLENCE BEGIN
PEOPLE STOP, THINK AND LOOK DEEP WITHIN
THAT ALL THOSE ENSLAVED COULD BE FREE
AND THOSE FILLED WITH HATRED COULD SEE
WE’RE LESS DIFFERENT THAN WE ARE THE SAME
WHEN OUR HEARTS BREAK WE FEEL THE SAME PAIN
AND THAT PEACE IN THE WORLD RISES UP LIKE ON WINGS
I WISH MOST A THOUSAND THINGS

YOU CAN’T MAKE PEACE FLY
IT WILL FALL LIKE A STONE
IT WILL ONLY RISE
ON THE WINDS OF HOPE

I WISH MOST A THOUSAND THINGS
THAT WE ALL COULD VALUE THE EARTH
AND LEARN TO RESPECT OUR OWN WORTH
THAT GUNS WEREN’T SUBSTITUED FOR TOYS
AND WE COULD ALL DO WORK WE ENJOYED
THAT ALL THE WORLD’S FOOD COULD BE SHARED
AND WE COULD FILL THE ABYSS OF DISPAIR
AND THAT PEACE IN THE WORLD RISES UP LIKE ON WINGS
I WISH MOST A THOUSAND THINGS

I WISH MOST A THOUSAND THINGS
THAT YOU NEVER LOSE SIGHT OF YOUR DREAMS
NO MATTER HOW DISTANT THEY SEEM
AND THOUGH LIFE’S ROAD MAY BE ROUGH
YOU WILL ALWAYS FIND LAUGHTER AND LOVE
THAT IN DEATH YOU DON’T SUFFER AT ALL
THAT THE DEMONS THAT HAUNT YOU ALL FALL
AND THAT PEACE IN THE WORLD RISES UP LIKE ON WINGS
I WISH MOST A THOUSAND THINGS
I WISH MOST A THOUSAND THINGS

Notes: I wrote this for an album of songs about social consciousness called “A Chance For Peace” (http://www.cdbaby.com/mediadream). I played this song a number of times in the Southern U.S. in the months before we invaded Iraq and was astounded at how often folks would come up and thank me for my “bravery” in singing such a song given the political climate; sometimes singing about peace is a dangerous thing.