BURN IT ALL DOWN
LIGHTER
WAR IS MY RELIGION
CHURCH ON THE HILL
STANDING IN THE SCHOOLHOUSE DOOR
WESTFIELD
THE LAST DAYS
UP IS DOWN
BAD GIRLS
PORCH LIGHT
It whirls across the land
Louder as it’s getting closer to every woman, child, and man
Carrying a promise
Like a mighty rushing wind
And everything that can be shaken will be shaken from within
It pits The Old against The Young
The Rich against The Poor
It is Everything That’s Coming vs. What Has Come Before
Some will try to still it
Understandably afraid
But if The The Status Quo were working
Then it wouldn’t need to change
There’s a version of reality
That is drowning out The Truth
It’s the sonnet of The Powerful and they serenade The Youth
Crooning out the harmonies
And hoping that the sound
Will hide the countermelody of what they’re really all about
Insisted every player
Follow a score that they composed
But they abandoned all their principles when they couldn’t hit the notes
Then launched into a chorus
About what made us great
But if The Status Quo were working
Then it wouldn’t need to change
No, you can’t sit it out!
They’ll never treat you like a guest
‘Cos when you’re used to having all, having equal feels like less
But long and ever-bending
Toward a fair and freer day
Until The Status Quo is working
It’ll always need to change
Turn left down this forgotten street
Pulled into my old spot in a parking lot that is losing a fight to the weeds
And a cold wind is signaling changes
The living we made is dead
As the sky slowly turns to crimson, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet
I’m gonna light it all up
I’m gonna burn it all down
The flames will scorch the clouds
The sixth alarm will sound
I’m gonna light it all up
I’m gonna burn it all down
There’ll be nothin’ left
So when you come lookin’ for me
I’m nowhere to be found
I’m gonna burn it all down
I’m gonna burn it all down
Down comes the door of my short-bed
I’ve got a little of everything
And a book of matches with the company line
From the cookout they threw last Spring
Our home, our station, my kids’ education
And the way to pay for all of them
Hell, it’s not so much all the things that I’ve lost
I’ve got nothin’ left to win
So I’m gonna light it all up
I’m gonna burn it all down
The flames will scorch the clouds
The sixth alarm will sound
I’m gonna light it all up
I’m gonna burn it all down
There’ll be nothin’ left
So when you come lookin’ for me
I’m nowhere to be found
I’m gonna burn it all down
Gas all along the perimeter
Throw a match and learn I’m not alone
Turn to my right, and to my surprise
I’m locking eyes with the C.E.O.
We bold for the door, but he got out before
Must’ve propped up somethin’ outside
Would be the luck of me, that S.O.B.
Got the best of me one last time
I’m gonna light it all up
I’m gonna burn it all down
The flames will scorch the clouds
The sixth alarm will sound
I’m gonna light it all up
I’m gonna burn it all down
There’ll be nothin’ left
So when you come lookin’ for me
I’m nowhere to be found
I’m gonna burn it all down
I’m gonna burn it all down
I’m gonna burn it all down
I’m gonna burn it all down
You know it’s so good to see you again after all these stolen years
Well now, it’s legal in all 51, and pardons came in-tow
Chalk it up to one more thing we should’ve done a long, long time ago
I never understood why they let me go, but sent you there
But I knew it wasn’t right or good
I knew it wasn’t fair
Like black and white
Like night and day
It’s all been different in nearly every way
And it has taken me awhile, but I’m finally learnin’
That my skin is lighter and so is my burden
Yeah, my skin is lighter and so is my burden
We were two kids from humble places and nowhere else to turn
Found ourselves stationed just outside of where the fires of Ramadi burn
They call this The Great Equalizer and I thought I had it bad
’Til I heard you tell me stories of how much little else you had
Half a world away from all the streets you used to fight
Let’s raise our bottles and drink to you being somewhere safe tonight
Like black and white
Like night and day
It’s all been different in nearly every way
And it has taken me awhile, but I’m finally learnin’
That my skin is lighter and so is my burden
Yeah, my skin is lighter and so is my burden
Blue light special in the rearview at 116th and Gray
And even though I’m the one who’s drivin’, they make you get out anyway
And it pissed me off to sit there and watch them search you up and down
But you’re like, “I wouldn’t worry about it. I’m pretty used to it by now.”
So I’m not gonna minimize the struggles I’ve been through
But how much harder would it all have been if I were you?
‘Cos like black and white
Like night and day
It’s all been different in nearly every way
And it has taken me awhile, but I’m finally learnin’
That my skin is lighter and so is my burden
Yeah, my skin is lighter and so is my burden
So make straight the way or fall to terror and dread
I’m returning soon and my reward is before me
Raise up your hands, the sea is giving up her dead
I’m eaten up with zeal and you’ll never kill the worm
‘Cos I’m tested by the fire, washed in the blood
So choose you this day whom you are gonna serve
Bow your heads as I cover all the Earth like a flood
War is my religion
And victory my fate
I have made my decision, honey
And I shall never be afraid
Take captive every thought that would stand in my way
Peace and Rumors of Peace on the threshing floor
No one knows the hour of that great and terrible day
No eye has seen, no ear has heard what I got in-store
I hold the Keys to Death and Hell in my hand
With pillars of smoke reaching up to the sky
I make myself the judge of every woman, child, and man
And I’m turning every field into a lake of fire
War is my religion
And victory my fate
I have pledged my allegiance, honey
And I shall never be afraid
How can they believe if they’ve never been told?
I bring my Word and call it Faithful and True
And I will instruct them in the way they should go
So draw night and I’ll pour out my favor over you
By my stripes, ye are healed
By my colors, ye are saved
Your face will shine underneath the light of my stars
I go out into the world to bring you into my ranks
Baptize you in the name of Molech, Mammon, and Mars
War is my religion
And vengeance is my faith
I have pledged my allegiance, brother
And I shall never be afraid
War is my religion
And victory my fate
I have made my decision, honey
And I shall never be afraid
No, I shall never be afraid
Once sat the Church on the Hill
Tall and secure, spotless and pure
It gleamed overlooking The ‘Ville
And I drove up to it one brisk Sunday morning
Drawn toward its large, wooden cross
Knelt down and began to get right with The Man
Near a stack of new modesty cloths
Gazed down at the town after we were dismissed
I wanted them all to experience this
I raised up my hands in surrender
And rejoiced: what was lost, was now found
Then I took off my shoes, put my feet in the grass
For I knew I was on holy ground
Gave my life to a cause greater than myself
With the answer to my greatest doubt:
“Is there hope for me still?”
The Church on the Hill says, “Everything’s gonna work out.”
Then hard times befell us and everyone struggled
It all started going downhill
’Til the new mayor rolled up in a shiny, white limo
And offered our pastor a deal:
“Money and access! Power and Protection!
Just sublease me part of your land.”
Approved by The Elders, then
I asked The Reverend:
“Can you help me understand?”
And he said…
“Well, I’m nervous too but I felt I should sign.
Let’s wait and see. I think we’ll be fine.”
So I raised up my hands in surrender
Placed my faith in his wisdom that day
“Our church is a solid foundation.
No matter what, we’re here to stay.”
I am part of a cause greater than myself
With the answer to my greatest doubt:
“Is there hope for us still?”
The Church on the Hill says, “Everything’s gonna work out.”
Well, it didn’t take ‘em long to start ripping up High Street
In came the machinery and crew
And they built:
A golf course
A resort
A couple tall towers
And blocked out the chapel from view
And our fellowship’s influence started to dwindle
As everyone emptied the pews
But the ones who still showed were all proud to be known as:
The Remnant. The Chosen. The Few
Everyone’s soul’s got a price, this, I know
But I think we set ours a little too low
Like we’d raised up our hands in surrender
Forgotten what we were about
Gave in to these streets of new commerce
That once felt just like holy ground
You hold on as long as you can then you sell
When they offer you the right amount
Is there hope for us still?
The Church on the Hill says, “Everything’s gonna work out.”
Is there hope for us still?
The Church on the Hill?
Tellin’ me I had better be afraid:
“Brown-skinned kids are on that border
To take away everything we’ve made
Make that muddy river into a wall
Just make sure it’s tall and wide
Find the ones who are already here
Ship ‘em back to the other side.”
They’re still standing in the schoolhouse door
Shouting down the storm-at-hand
They’re still standing in the schoolhouse door
Callin’ for blood across the land
I saw The Preacher on the stage
Standing next to his pretty, little wife
He’s telling me that I’d better beware
‘Cos they’re trying to kill off my way of life
“We’re all the same except for them
I’m tired of seeing all of this change
Tired of seeing all of these rainbow flags
Just keep it hidden if you’re strange.”
No!
They’re still standing in the schoolhouse door
Shouting down the storm-at-hand
They’re still standing in the schoolhouse door
Callin’ for blood across the land
They’ll draw that line down in Alabama dust
It’s going all the way back to 1963
Back to a time when they thought they were still in charge
And only some of us were free
It’s time to haul down The Stars ’n’ Bars
Let all of this hatred fade away
We’re never going back to the way that it was
No matter what they say
They’re still standing in the schoolhouse door
Shouting down the storm-at-hand
They’re still standing in the schoolhouse door
Callin’ for blood across the land
They’re still standing in the schoolhouse door
And they’re shouting down the storm-at-hand
They’re still standing in the schoolhouse door
Callin’ for blood across the land
Callin’ for blood across the land
Under hot Vallarta sun
Ernesto and Amada
And a daughter still to come
Paid a man to drive them far away
From the land they called their home
And drop them off in Indiana
To build the life they had never known
Now, Westfield is a city
Full of people filled with hope
Where the sun shines daily brighter
On their neighborhoods and roads
They put Amada on the schedule
Wiping trays and folding towels
And Ernesto framing mansions
Off-the-books for $10 an hour
But it’s calm tonight in Westfield
As its people are lying down
Someone served their meal
And another built their house
The Seen from The Invisible
Life rising from the dust
‘Cos someone toils tonight in Westfield
Who will never be one of us
Now, their little one, Maria?
She’s growing tall, and she’s got Dreams
She’s soaking up everything we teach her
Playing soccer on the team
She’s living in the shadows
And nothing terrifies her more
Than that she might be sent back
To someplace she’s never seen before
But it’s calm tonight in Westfield
As its people are lying down
Someone scored the winning goal
And another built their house
The Seen from The Invisible
Life rising from the dust
‘Cos someone toils tonight in Westfield
Who will never be one of us
“What if I were like Ernesto?”
I think about it every day
When I consider all the angles
I’m pretty sure that I would do the same
Because it’s calm tonight in Westfield
As my children are lying down
Someone served our dinner
And another built our house
The Seen from The Invisible
Life rising from the dust
‘Cos someone toils tonight in Westfield
Who will never be one of us
Someone toils tonight in Westfield
Who will never be one of us
Someone toils tonight in Westfield
Who will never be one of us
Where the city streets are golden
And there’ll never been a night
They tell me I’ll be free in that sweeter by-and-by
From the trials and tribulations
And the worries of this life
They tell me there’s a battle, and you gotta pick a side:
All the goats move to The Left
And all The Chosen to The Right
They tell me I’m in prison and I’m running out of time
Either fire will consume me, or its gonna make me shine
Putting on the armor
Poised to make a move
A final generation gonna see Hell breaking loose
They say we’re living in The Last Days
They hold their heads up high
They say they’re looking for The Latter Rain
Gonna set this world ablaze before they leave it all behind
Here in The Last Days
They listen for a trumpet in the middle of the night
And mark days on the calendar, but they never get ‘em right
They listen to their preachers to show them all the signs
‘Cos all must be fulfilled before they meet up in the sky
An army on a mission
Dangerous fools
Who’ll burn it all down unless you let ‘em make the rules
They say we’re living in The Last Days
They got their heads up high
They’re still looking for The Latter Rain
Gonna set this world ablaze, then leave it all behind
Go out into The Desert
And set a ticking bomb
Then sabotage the fuse to try and help it all along
‘Cos they think we’re living in The Last Days
I hope we’re moving on from this, I really must confess
Wanna cast this idea as far as The East is from The West
And I hope we’re finally seeing what is wrong to make it right
Gonna shout it from the rooftop, throw it o’er the other side
And they put it on the table
And they hook up life support
And its heart is running faster
And its breath is running short
And we finally see the light leave
Its lyin’ little eyes
One last gasp for air before
It screams out and it dies
And we say our goodbyes and then we welcome something new
And the old crashing down gives way to something good and true
I hope we’re living in its last days
I’ve got my head held high
I hope we’re staring down its latter reign
Gonna throw it on the pyre and leave it all behind
I’m calling for Redemption
For everything it’s worth
I’m ready for the day we see The Heavens kiss The Earth
Instead of looking for The Last Days
Instead of looking for The Last Days
The moon was red as wine; there was no way to ignore her
The birds all sang at dusk
Waves were rolling out, but not in
Rubbed my eyes annoyed ‘cos all the clocks were spinning backwards
Screamed into the void, but it didn’t seem to matter
Couldn’t help but wonder if this would ever all make sense again
It’s so hard to find your way back home
When East is West and North is South
When Left is Right and Lost is Found
Down is Up, and Up is Down
Someone saw a sign and all the doves turned into fighters
Another sold a lie, and all The Young became The Wiser
There’s no fear in love, but everybody loves to feel afraid
And everyone who warned that the truth is skating thin
Turned out to be the real deceivers
And all my Atheist friends act more Christian than believers
Like getting close to fire showed us all of what we’re really made
It’s so hard to find your way back home
When East is West and North is South
When Left is Right and Lost is Found
Down is Up, and Up is Down
It’s so hard to find your way back home
When East is West and North is South
When Left is Right and Lost is Found
Down is Up, and Up is Down
It’s so hard to find your way back home
When East is West and North is South
When Left is Right and Lost is Found
Down is Up, and Up is Down
But maybe you’re afraid ‘cos you know you’ve never had this
You know they don’t mind kicking in your door
‘Cos the bad girls do what the good girls won’t
The bad girls do what the good girls won’t
They got a way of dealing with distraction
They’ll size you up and knock you right out of the action
And they won’t stop until the ceiling is the floor
‘Cos the bad girls do what the good girls won’t
The bad girls do what the good girls won’t
The bad girls do what the good girls won’t
The bad girls do what the good girls won’t
You say they’re married to a madness
You know you’re running scared because you’ve never had this
And they won’t stop until they’re kicking in your door
Stop me, man, if you’ve heard this one before
The bad girls do what the good girls won’t
The bad girls do what the good girls won’t
The bad girls do what the good girls won’t
The bad girls do what the good girls won’t
Stood solemn in the same spot of our first kiss beneath the stars
You’re keen on moving to the city
Scared of leaving where you’re at
But anytime you need to visit
You can always go back
‘Cos there’s a porch light on
With a warm, orange glow
May it always light the way that leads you home
Now on the other side of the table where you used to share so much
They’ve got a lot of strong opinions, but never reason to back them up
A drive home frustrated, you were crying when I got the door
“How could they give up on everything that they said they believed before?”
But you’re thankful for the way that they brought you up
And all they’ve done for you since
Now you just need ‘em to take serious The Future and what they’ll be leaving it
There’s a porch light on
With a warm, orange glow
May it always light the way that leads you home
We hold on to a promise, ‘cos sometimes, it’s all we’ve got
Where the Light apprehends the Darkness, and the Darkness prevaileth not
And we’ll watch it roll on like a river
Long the ever-bending arc
Fix our eyes on our true north
And remember who we are
‘Cos there’s a porch light on
With a warm, orange glow
May it always light the way that leads you home
Still a porch light on
May it ever glow
May it always light the way that leads us home