"Little Emperor" lyrics - STEVE EARLE

Hey little Emperor, come down from your throne
The hourglass is empty, your time has come and gone
The battlements are crumblin' the walls are tumblin' down
Your counselors and concubines are getting' out of town
Some say it's an omen, some say it's the winds of change
Which every way it's going' it's blowin' like a hurricane
Hey little conqueror, where you gonna go?
The world is even smaller than it was when you left home
Emptiness in front of you and detritus behind
Nobody ever told you that history was kind
Standin' on the corner, your fortune blowin' in the wind
Daddy didn't warn that there ain't no going home again

No pomp and circumstance, no more shock and awe
You're just a little emperor, that's all

Hey little hypocrite, what you gonna say
When you wind up standin' naked on the final judgment day
How you gonna justify it, who you gonna call
What if it turns out God doesn't look like you at all
The leaves are in the teacup, the hieroglyphics on the wall
You ain't the first to rise up, you sure won't be last to fall

Hey little emperor, come down from your throne
And let another emperor climb on