Bruce Cockburn - Beautiful Creatures lyrics

There's a knot in my gut As I gaze out today On the planes of the city All polychrome grey When the skin is peeled of it What is there to say? The beautiful creatures are going away Like a dam on a river My conscience is pressed By the weight of hard feelings Piled up in my breast The callous and vicious things Humans display The beautiful creatures are going away Why? Why? From the stones of the fortress To the shapes in the air To the ache in the spirit We label despair We create what destroys, Bind ourselves to betray The beautiful creatures are going away