An echo fades of sounds once heard   By thousands brought together for   His ringing voice, a soul that stirred   The faithful to a mighty roar.      For twenty years upon the stage   For twenty years upon the stage   The passion deep within his soul   Brought forth the anger and the rage   His vision locked upon one goal.      The promises of rock and roll could   Break the chains upon his life,   Guitar in hand he vowed he would   Be free from pain and inner strife.      He shook the rafters in the halls   And brought the faithful to their feet,   His river coursed through mighty walls   Across this land, down every street.      With flag unfurled he took the word   Across the seas to hungry youth   Who raised their hands when e'er they heard   His cries for faith, and hope, and truth.      Today he stands with inner peace   A man content with home and health,   Upon his brow a jagged crease   A symbol of success and wealth.      The thunder of his younger days   Has passed, and now his words reveal   A calmer soul in many ways   Fulfilled with satisfactions real.      His arms upraised against the light   He stands alone, his eyes look toward   The ground below, a bird in flight   Still searching for his true reward.      His mission done, he finds retreat   With children and a loving wife,   His body tired from the heat   The price he pays for touring life.      But deep within the longings stir   The music runs within him still,   His passions for the times that were   Are stronger than his iron will.      And all of us who know the man   Will come together when he cries   The message we all understand   The thunder in us never dies.