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Face Lyrics by John Richard Cornwall

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I have needed a new face for ten years now.
The old one was stuck, like a mask, with
a frown and a perfect look of misery.
It refused to move like a spoilt child and I
had to make apologies for it endlessly.
I would like a face with a smile, one that
would greet everyone with pleasure and not
some troublesome weight of sorrow. I would
feel complete, then, ready to face anything
that might come along. I would not be startled,
I would use my smiling face to smooth things
out, to solve problems.
And everyone who saw it would whisper
that its wearer must be attentive to happiness,
to a delightful life airy and full of joy.
Even at night when the moon shines bright
on cold nights, the curtains offering no
protection from winds, even on such nights
my smiling face would radiate bliss,
I would become envied by others. I would
sleep each night, smiling, and wake each
morning, smiling, and there would be nothing
to stop me at all from making light of anything
and everything that happens.
Only when I saw you after ten long years
a smiling face seemed such a stupidity.
There was nothing there to smile about,
the old face formed in seconds, the taut
mouth fixed into an altered grimace, the old
excuse.
How quickly things can alter, one moment
a solid resolution to improve, to change
what the past had done, and in another
moment something from the past is forced
into the present and lets develop all the old
events, the old mistakes.
A lifetime of excuses rushes in to meet
you, each mistake detailed for your pleasure,
written huge and bold and bright. Nothing
can alter such events except perhaps
a letting go of the past, private moments
exorcised at last. And what smiling face
can undo such things? But you were gone
in minutes and I had work to do building
a face of contentment, one that would
say to anyone and everyone how pleased
I had become, my smiling face brighter
than any magic, brighter still than God.
Credits
John Richard Cornwall

John Richard Cornwall

About “Face” by John Richard Cornwall

Read the complete lyrics to "Face" by John Richard Cornwall. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music, Literature.

"Face" is performed by John Richard Cornwall. This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Face", explore more songs by John Richard Cornwall using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Face" is credited to John Richard Cornwall. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

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