The darkness now is lifting   Dawn blushes in the sky   It lays a spread of gold and red   And breathes a lullaby   To a thousand quiet creatures   Of earth and sky and stream   Who cannot know that paradise   Will one day be a dream      When the last wagon rolls along   And fades into the west   And cuts a trail of progress   Through a singing skylark's nest   When the last woodland creature   Lifts her head to flee   And is snared by her protector   Lord, who will set her free?      When the boundless spirit   Has no place to roam   The heart will sadly whisper   This world is not my home   When the sweep of wind along the grass   Bows down to destiny   When the last bright star has fallen   Lord, who will comfort me?      When the last prairie flower   Gives up her yellow bloom   When the high cathedral skies   Give way to crowded rooms   When we parcel heaven   And fence eternity   When the wildness is all tamed and torn   Don't let me live to see      When the last campfire flickers   And is laid to righteous rest   When the ones who wander without fear   Are cursed who once were blessed   When all our deeds of glory   Are laid in front of thee   When you ask what man hath wrought   Don't rest your gaze on me      When the boundless spirit   Has no place to roam   The heart will sadly whisper   This world is not my home   When the sweep of wind along the grass   Bows down to destiny   When the last bright star has fallen   Lord, who will comfort me?