When I was a young man I found an old dream
Was as battered and worn a one as you have ever seen
But I made it some new wings and painted the nose
And I wished so hard up in the air I rose, singing

Carry me, carry me
Carry me above the world
Carry me, carry me, carry me

And I once loved a girl
she was younger than me
Her parents kept her locked up in their life
and she was crying at night
and she was wishing she could be free
'Course mostly I remember her laughing
Standing there watching us play
For a while there, the music would take her away
and she'd be singing

Carry me, carry me
Carry me above the world
Carry me, carry me
Carry me above the world

And then there was my mother
she was lying in white sheets there
and she was waiting to die
She said, "If you'd just reach underneath this bed
and untie these weights
I could surely fly
She's still smiling but she's tired
she'd like to hear that last bell ring
You know if she could she would
stand up, and she could sing, singing

Carry me, carry me
Carry me above the world
Carry me, carry me