The Enigma

Eric Bogle


Andrew had a smile upon his face
The day he resigned from the human race
The arguments had all been heard
The verdict had been reached
He turned his back upon his cage
And that to his relieve
Spinning like a carousel
Andrew made no sound as he fell

It's hard to believe said Andy's friend
We won't be seeing Andy again
He'd achieved so many goals
That men keep striving for
Big house, good job, expense account,
Wife whom he adored
He had it made as far as we could tell
We were his friends
We knew him well

I can't believe it's true said Andy's wife
I can't believe that Andrew took his life
I can't believe the man I love won't be coming home
I can't believe the man I love would leave me here alone
Without one word of love or of farewell
He was my man, I knew him well

I don't believe it, Andrew's father said
I don't believe my little Andy's dead
Perhaps we never were what a father and son should be
But I always loved him, and I thought that he loved me
Where did I go wrong, where did I fail
He was my son, I knew him well

And I won't believe it, Andy's mother cried
I won't believe that it was suicide
The past few years I know perhaps he strayed from the fold
But he would never put in jeopardy his own immortal soul
He must have lost his balance, slipped and fell
He was my son, I knew him too well

Andrew had a smile upon his face
As he tumbled through the fragile space
That spans the known and the unknown
That bridges life and death
Time before he crossed the bridge
Before one final breath
Time for one last defying yell
But Andrew made no sound as he fell