Chicago Institute - Manfred Mann's Earth Band


[Intro]

Way back there

 an explosion 

of hope
              
Hit out hard i

    
n a furnace of

 steel
            
I thought life

       
 was a fire
            
I thought life

       
 was a high ti

me
            
(I thought lif

        
e was a fire)
            
I thought life

       
 was a symbol
            
(I thought lif

          
e was for livi

n')
            
I thought life

         
 was for livin

'
            
(I thought lif

        
e was a symbol

)
            
I thought life

                
 was a fire


[Verse]
         
There's an ins

titute in Chic

ago
            
With a room fu

      
ll of machines
         
And they live 

this side of t

he sunrise
            
And burn away 

     
your dreams


[Chorus]
            
Once you fly t

             
o Chicago - in

            
 Chicago you w

   
ill die
            
When that inst

              
itute in Chica

            
go has recorde

               
d you and I


[Verse]
         
There's an emp

ty house in Ca

lifornia
            
But they'll al

             
ways let you i


n
            
And they'll ma

ke you feel oh

 so easy
            
Like you never

            
 learned to si

n


[Chorus]
            
Oh yes it's ho

             
w they made it

            
, how they mad

             
e it seem so c


lean
            
Yes, that empt

              
y house in Cal

              
ifornia is our

            
 brave new wor

              
ld's machine


[Solo]


[Verse]
     
At the institu

te in Chicago
            
From the first

              
 day you were 


born
        
Oh they just c

an't tell what

 you're feelin

'
            
And they can't

              
 see how you'r

  
e torn


[Chorus]
            
When your name

             
's just a numb

            
er - just a nu

              
mber you will 


die
            
'Cause that in

              
stitute in Chi

            
cago never kne

            
w you were ali

       
ve


[Solo II]


[Outro]
            
Way back there

   
 a reflection 

of me
            
Turned my head

              
 in a circle o

  
f time
            
I thought life

         
 was for livin

'
            
I thought life

       
 was a high ti

me
             
I thought life

       
 was a fire
            
I thought life

              
 was a symbol