Shades of Gray
By Barry Mann and Cyntha Weil
Preformed by the Monkees

When the world and I were young,
Just yesterday.
Life was such a simple game,
A child could play.
It was easy then to tell right from wrong.
Easy then to tell weak from strong.
When a man should stand and fight,
Or just go along.

But today there is no day or night
Today there is no dark or light.
Today there is no black or white,
Only shades of gray.

I remember when the answers seemed so clear
We had never lived with doubt or tasted fear.
It was easy then to tell truth from lies
Selling out from compromise
Who to love and who to hate,
The foolish from the wise.

But today there is no day or night
Today there is no dark or light.
Today there is no black or white,
Only shades of gray.

(Instrumental interlude)

It was easy then to know what was fair
When to keep and when to share.
How much to protect your heart
And how much to care.

But today there is no day or night
Today there is no dark or light.
Today there is no black or white,
Only shades of gray.
Only shades of gray.


Often, we see the world as a dichotomy - this or that, A or B, black or white. This is no the case, the world is full of endless shades of gray.

Self/Other
Is there a difference between how we treat others, and how we wish to be treated?

Man/Nature
Man is part of nature. Do we not treat nature as we treat our own bodies?

Intellect/Intuition
One means of thought must not preclude the other. Each compliments the other. Both are needed to see clearly.

Good/Evil
There is some good in all evils, and some evils are brought about by every good action.

Life/Death
Life and death are two parts to the existence of all things, part of the same universe, each flowing into the other

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