Better Way

Is there a place in this grand tradition to put some faith in oposition?
It ain't a life, it's living with contradiction.
And putting faith in Justice wouldn't be that hard
Except we expect class warfare and all we end up with is war.
There's got to be a better way.

Now it's become quite clear to me where they've drawn the line.
It's not about picking sides, let's just tear it down and set it alight.
cause they'll rip you to pieces if they only think they can,
and I search that list of names to make sure you're coming home again.
And there's got to be a better way.

Do you want to go down that road and see just what we find?
It beats the comodification of what we're calling a life.
Is that burning in your heart or beurning in your eyes?
Is it coming from the tear gas or from doing what you know to be right?
There's got to be a better way.

Edge of The World

Here I sit with my head in my hands as I watch the world on fire again
and I'm glad those bombs ain't falling on me.
But when I think of my friends and family, dying in some foriegn country
and the body bags coming back home and it makes me sick.
Meanwhile the city's streets have become a morgue, 
I can see the bodies piling right up.
Because you can fight for democracy in some other land,
but when it comes to us there ain't enough to go around.

Oh Huey Long- we could use someone like you.
Won't you come on back and go to Washington?

Come on everybody let's go.
We're standing two steps from the edge of the world.
Who's going to be the first to back up?

Now they've got us all divided up- red and blue, black and white;
but we're all the same people in the end.
I don't really care on which side you stand,
but when you're ready to stand together, man, come on in.

Because i know we can take them, I know it for sure.
Me and you- we'll just roll 'em right up.

Come on everybody let's go;
we're standing two steps from the end of the world.
Who's going to be the first to back down?

Well, I get up everyday and do the best I can;
and I know that you're doing the same.
And when it comes time for you to ship home again,
if you're ready to stand together man- come on in.

Cause I know we can take 'em, I know it for sure.
Me and you, we'll just roll them right up.

Come on everybody let's go,
we're standing two steps from the edge of the world.
Who'll be the first to back off?
They're going down.

Goodbye to the USA

Between the wire taps and the courts being packed I didn't recognize my 
country.
So I took a look around me and decided it was time to leave.
I packed my things, said my goodbyes- an expatriot I would be;
Hemmingway, Roman Polanski, Johnny Depp and Me.

So goodbye to the Looney Left the Radical Right,
The FBI and the CIA-
I'm on the first plane outta' hear.
Goodbye to the USA.

Well I first touched down and Londontown, What a great city too see.
I went from Shepard's Bush to NW12 from Brixton to Victoria Street.
But after I spent the night in the Camden Jail on suspician of robbery,

it didn't matter how many alibi's I gave them, 
the guy must have looked like me.

So goodbye to the Looney Left, the Radical Right,
The FBI and the CIA. I'm on the first plane outta' here,
Goodbye to the USA.

Well, Paris was burning, Germany's broke, in Poland I had a drink to Walasea. 
In Italy they wanted to deport me and the communists wanted to bomb me?
When I realized there's no Miranda rights and no inocent until proven
guilty I said "You know what? You can just have it." and went back to the
USA.

So hello to The Looney Left and The Radical Right,
The FBI and the CIA.
I'm on my way back home- hello to the USA
Yeah, Hello to the Looney Left and the Radical Right, the FBI and the CIA, 
I'm on my back home, Hello to the USA.

Hope Dies Last

I saw a kid standing on the corner throwing rocks at cars saying 
"This is America!" It was so absurd that it make me laugh.
But when I told you you didn't think it was as funny as I did, 
I still smile every time I walk past.
One day the world comes down and says "Kid, all the things that you 
cared about are the same ones I did and I've got some bad news. 
They were all taken from and you better get used to it because they're 
the same ones that'll be taken from you."
And my stupid hope and dreams
come crashing headfirst into reality.
Just take my hand and we'll walk on past-
'Cause in the end Hope Dies Last

Oh I stood at the edge of the world filled with hate 
and anger at everything I saw there;
On a filthy street I tried to shout down the sky.
And in the end it didn't do me all that much good, 
but I still had a damn good time.
And the world keeps turning 'round even after everything that I've done, 
and the things that weren't so great are the ones you won't let me forget.
But hopefully, at the end of all of this, 
well some of them aren't all that bad.
And the courage of my convictions
they might not get me that far.
Just take my hand and we'll walk on past-
'Cause in the end Hope Dies Last.
And I hope that one day
All this madness and injustice fades away
so that we can all live to the purpose that we choose,
with bigotry and tyranny condemned to the scrap heap of history.

I know the world's not a perfect place and we all contribute to that 
in our own way
and all this madness in the world can surely get you down.
But as bad as it seems with bombs and bio-terror schemes in the end 
it's the world we made ourselves.
and it's still turning 'round with armies, guns and color coded warnings
that become daily ritual and part of our lives.
But I don't believe in a culture that feeds off the backs of those less 
fortunate
and values profits over human rights.
And the courage of my convictions
they haven't let me down so far.
Just take my hand and we'll walk on past-
'Cause in the end Hope Dies Last.
Hope Dies Last

(Open Letter to an) Arrogant Politician

We can wring our eyes, we can throw our hands up;
While the chorus gets louder our leaders they aren't listening.
They say they serve for the good of the country;
It's not about service when you're doing it for power and money.
And it's not as if we're asking for some sort of myrical,
just freedom and peace and you not to leave the country worse off 
than it was before.
 
We place our trust and we're looking for answers,
We get salesmen practiced at the art of divide and conquor.
Who place their loyalty to party not people;
They're more interested in business than doing something meaningful.
And they're more concerned with campaign accounts than the public good,
While the people still wait they've turned Congress into a private
country club.
 
Chorus: 
Until the scales fall down from our eyes and the flood 
reveals the motivation and lies.
They're not interested in doing what's right 
but doing what they have to...
 
And there seems to be a few with a conscience that seem to understand
that there's more to being a leader than calling yourself a politician.
 
But when the scales fall down from our eyes 
and the flood reveals the motivation and lies,
They're not interested in doing what's right 
but doing what they have to to hang on.