To Be The Last One (1977)

Shimmering sunlight of a summer gone by

Lakes of glass shine as if sparkling pools

Now a cold air ushers in a corrosive cry

The water rust brown from silversmith fools

May you make again shine

Water now brown with decaying rust

How has something oh so fine

Turned to misery of wanton lust

How many have gone away

In fear of some dying place

That holds their souls in disarray

By this new and elusive race

They've gone releasing themselves from within

And I am to be the very last

To remain in what others define as mortal sin

Facing the truth of a retched past

Escape! Escape! all my fellowmen say

You are free to leave so do it now

If you do not a price you will pay

For to be the last is to die a Kao*

But I have been captured to live a new way

To be a new person and to adopt a new life

The kind of person that sees no new day

And a hand that in fear grasps only a knife

*Cambodian surname