Tape-warm field notes for the wide awake · Independent since 2024.
Songs That Last
Latest release
Quoted for Truth · 2025
Quoted for Truth
Charlie Root's newest full length is analog, scathing, and truthbearing. It threads outlaw confessionals with rallying cries and quiet rituals of resistance.
Analog Folk Noir from the NetherlandsProtest Ballads for Sleepless CitiesDark Storytelling & Tape-Warm TexturesIndependent Artist · Songs That Last
About
Stories soaked in twilight grain
Charlie Root is a folk singer-songwriter from the Netherlands. Influences include Bob Dylan, Melanie, and Pixelated Poets, alongside kindred spirits like Johnny Cash, Joan Baez, and The Tallest Man On Earth.
Every song is journaled in the Netherlands, drawing from night trains, dim motel lobbies, and spirits who stand up when it counts. Expect tenderness with grit, hope tangled with archival ghosts.
Listen while you read
Selections that inspired the latest writing streak.
Common threads
Words that keep returning
Twenty anchors from the lyric notebook, skipping the filler and leaning into the pulse.
Select any title to open the lyric archive overlay. No logins, no promises, just the words. 'Ghost in the Gutter' trails a foreign drifter through fogbound streets.
Reflection
Moonlight in My Hands
This song watches a framed soul weigh love, loyalty, and the fire he keeps hidden for a world that will not make space for it.
When the cornfields whisper and ceilings lean, who decides which lives burn out and which blaze on? The answer is still walking, flaming quiet, in the distance.
Studio recording, written 25 years ago.Hilversum, 2025
Old film lab
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In a quiet town where the river winds
There lived a man who chased the signs
He'd lace his shoes at the break of day
And with the morning mist, he'd find his way
Oh, Johnny boy, you ran so wild
Like a rolling stone, a wandering child
With the weight of the world on your weary back
But nothing could ever keep you from the track
Through autumn's gold and summer's fire
You kept your stride, never tired
With every step, you faced the end
The running man who'd never bend
Oh, Johnny boy, you blazed your trail
Like a ship set sail with a roaring gale
With a spirit so strong you never lost track
Always moving forward, never looking back
When the doctor said, "Your race is through"
You smiled and said, "I've more to do"
For there's miles to go and tales to share
And a fire in my soul that's still burning there
On New Year's Day, when the frost took hold
You laid it down like a tale of old
"How much time?" I asked the open sky
But Johnny just grinned, said, "No need to cry"
Oh, Johnny boy, you soared so high
With wings of hope beneath the sky
Carrying dreams in a weathered pack
And you never let the darkness hold you back
Now the track is quiet, the stands are bare
But Johnny's footsteps linger in the air
In the hearts of the lost, the broken, the torn
Your race lives on in the early morn
In a quiet town where the river winds
There lived a man who chased the signs
He laces his shoes at the break of day
In eternal mist, he'll find a way
Ghost in the Gutter
Alfie sailed in from a distant shore
Chasing a promise that don't live here no more
Now he walks through the fog with his coat pulled tight
Counting the cracks in the cobblestone night
Oh, the lamplight flickers, the cold wind moans
The rich drink deep while the poor die alone
A man ain't much when he's got no name
Just a ghost in the gutter with a heart full of rain
There's a woman in rags by the old church door
Selling prayers that ain't worth a penny no more
She says, Alfie, my friend, you're as lost as the tide
But the Lord don't pay for a place to hide
Oh, the lamplight flickers, the cold wind moans
The rich drink deep while the poor die alone
A man ain't much when he's got no name
Just a ghost in the gutter with a heart full of rain
A banker walks by with a head full of gold
Never looks down where the gutter runs cold
The dogs sleep warm and the thieves get fed
While Alfie just drifts where the lost souls tread
There's a light in a window, but it ain't for him
Just a chandelier glow behind curtains dim
And the city moves on like a wheel in the mud
Grinding the names of the nameless in blood
Oh, the lamplight flickers, the cold wind moans
The rich drink deep while the poor die alone
A man ain't much when he's got no name
Just a ghost in the gutter with a heart full of rain
So he walks through the mist where the lamplight fades
A ghost among ghosts in a city of trade
And maybe someday they'll call out his name
But the wind only whispers, and it sounds the same
His Last Bequest
The snow was high, the road was black
The famine tore, it pulled them back
A man and wife, one breath, one bone
Walked northward through the night alone
Her hands were cold, her voice was weak
Her hunger robbed the words she'd speak
He took her up, his back was strong
But oh, the night, the night was long
Through bog and stone, through wind and wave
They carried on-no home, no grave
No bread to break, no fire's light
Just the bitter wind that walked the night
The frost, it bit, the sky was steel
No king nor lord would hear appeal
For hunger knows no church, no crown
It tears the mighty, drags them down
At dawn they lay where footpaths cross
A man, a wife, a world of loss
Her feet pressed close against his chest
His final warmth, his last bequest
No gold was theirs, no stone, no name
No songs remain, no voice, no flame
But if you walk where cold winds moan
You'll hear their love in dust and bone
And let no bard with silver tongue
Make soft the tale of what was done
Sing only this: the hunger came
And left behind two forms, no names
Lovers on the Edge
They met in the shadow of a trembling moon
Eyes like fire, hearts out of tune
The night was a whisper, the stars held their breath
As they danced on the tightrope of life and death
He reached for her hand, she pulled him in
The taste of her lips was sweet as sin
They burned like embers in a hurricane's eye
Falling together, too wild to fly
They kiss, they break, they rise, they fall
They're nothing, they're everything, they're nothing at all
Bound together, torn apart
Lovers on the edge of a restless heart
They claw, they fight, they tear the air
Lost in a moment where nothing's fair
They build and destroy, they bleed, they feel
The line between madness and a love unreal
Morning came softly, ghost on the floor
Pieces of them scattered, lost once more
Within the wreckage, a spark still remains
A promise of passion, a touch of insane
They kiss, they break, they rise, they fall
They're nothing, they're everything, they're nothing at all
Bound together, torn apart
Lovers on the edge of a burning heart
They scream, they cry, they breathe despair
Caught in a silence that fills the air
They shatter and mend, they break, they feel
Lovers on the edge of a love surreal
So here's to the fire that can't be tamed
To love that's reckless, to hearts unclaimed
They're shadows, they're echoes, a wild refrain
Lovers on the edge of joy and pain
Echoes of Justice
You builders of ruin
You merchants of dread
With hearts cold and cruel
You leave homes to shred
There's a chill in the air
From the plans you devised
You peddle destruction
Beneath cloaked disguise
You feast on the agony
Reap profit from pain
While the tears of the grieving fall like biting rain
The young lie in tatters
The old fade away
Yet you revel in chaos
As you lead them astray
War's sweet bliss
That's your wretched gain
While the world cries in anguish
Hearts laden with strain
You play with the lives
As if pieces in a game
Leaving naught but the ashes and the echoes of names
A child's cry echoes
It pierces the night
And you're deaf to their sorrow
You're lost in your might
Every land you have scarred
Every soul you have vexed
Yet you bask in the pyres of a future perplexed
You might cloak your crimes
Behind banners and trust
But your empire of lies will erode into dust
For the cries of the fallen
They haunt the night air
And no riches can purchase the peace that's not there
You masters of sorrow
Architects of pain
Will you face retribution
Or just feigned disdain?
For the ghosts they are rising
From the fields laid bare
And perhaps someday soon
You'll find justice there
When the last echoes fade
Of the havoc you've wrought
The weight of your deeds
Will be all you've got
For the world won't forget
The darkness you've spread
And in the end, you'll meet
The judgement you've bred.
Ode to a Nightingale
Oh the wind, it calls me yonder
Through the fields so soft and wide
Where the wildwood's shadows wander
And the silver rivers glide
There the lark is ever singing
In the golden morning light
And my heart with longing winging
Seeks the hush of endless night
Sing, oh nightbird, ever low
Through the leaves where moonlight glows
Take my sorrow, take my pain
Let me never wake again
Oh for draughts of sweetest nectar
Aged in earth so cool and deep
With the scent of rose and heather
That could lull my soul to sleep
Fill my cup with warmest sighing
Let the past be lost in wine
Where the dreamer, softly dying
Fades into the darkling pine
Sing, oh nightbird, ever low
Through the leaves where moonlight glows
Take my sorrow, take my pain
Let me never wake again
Wish that I could fly beside thee
Not on wagons bold and bright
But on whispers soft that guide me
Through the dark embrace of night
Where no sorrow dims the meadow
Where no weary heart can weep
Let me pass into the shadow
Let me lay me down to sleep
Sing, oh nightbird, ever low
Through the leaves where moonlight glows
Take my sorrow, take my pain
Let me never wake again
Far away the dawn is breaking
Still the earth is cold and bare
Yet the nightbird's song is aching
Softly laced upon the air
Now I wonder, was it dreaming
Or some echo of the past
Gone is music, lost its meaning
Yet its whisper still shall last
Oh Time You Thief
I was young in the shade of the orchard trees
Where the sun rolled down like honey bees
The rivers sang through the barley and grass
And the hours spun gold that would never pass
The hills wore crowns of the morning dew
And the sky was a song in an endless blue
The barns held secrets, the foxes ran wild
And the world was a garden where I was a child
Oh time you thief you gave and you took
Carved my days in your open book
Green and golden, and I danced in your light
Now I sing in the chains of your endless night
The fields are still there, though I've gone away
The horses and owls, the dawn's gentle sway
But the wind whispers soft, and the stars sadly weep
For the boy who once roamed in the kingdom of sleep
I was young when the moon rode high
And the barns held the echoes of a midnight sigh
The hay was sweet, the stables warm
I thought I'd outlast the break of the storm
Oh time you thief you gave and you took
Carved my days in your open book
Green and golden, and I danced in your light
Now I sing in the chains of your endless night
Old Man's Whiskey
Old man sits by the window pane
Whispers carry the scent of rain
Holds his bottle, a weathered friend
Life's long story, nearing its end
Dusty shoes and a tattered hat
Memories dance in a smoky flat
Whiskey warms his frail cracked bones
Nights of silence, distant moans
Whiskey river flows so deep
In the dreams where old men weep
A heart that's heavy, tales untold
Whiskey's burn, memories of gold
Once he roamed wild open lands
Now his world fits in trembling hands
Eyes that've witnessed rise and fall
Every sip, he's seen it all
Whiskey river flows so deep
In the dreams where old men weep
A heart that's heavy, tales untold
Whiskey's burn, memories of gold
Paper Boats in Old Lost Dreams
Don't talk about the days back then
When coffee rose and hope came in
When mothers' hands hung sheets to dry
Like tattered prayers against the sky
Don't talk about the trees that swayed
Or the songs the blackbirds made
Don't talk about the men at night
The open door, the flickering light
Oh, the wind's got no name, the river don't stop
The world turns on, ready or not
If you stand real still, if you don't make a sound
You might hear the earth spin round
Don't talk about the first cold rain
Or the way the streets called out your name
Don't weigh down the table with stories untold
Some things get too heavy to hold
Oh, the wind's got no name, the river don't stop
The world turns on, ready or not
If you stand real still, if you don't make a sound
You might hear the earth spin round
One day a child with eyes so wide
Might ask you 'bout the other side
And you might send your voice downstream
Like paper boats in old lost dreams
Like paper boats in old lost dreams
Dear Alan
In a room of steel and secrets
A lone mind went astray
Cracking codes of human shadows
In the thick of war's cruel play
With numbers whispering softly
Where the silence held its breath
Built a puzzle of the unseen
In the face of coming death
Kings and queens and pawns
They danced in his tireless thoughts
Breathing life into machinery
Where human touch was lost
A chess game never ending
With spectral moves unseen
Every answer held in shadows
Secret whispers in between
A sight beyond the veil
Betrayed by time and law
The world could never fathom
All the genius that it saw
Penance paid in cold resolve
A mind left to decay
A heart that screamed for justice
Taken on that cruel, black day
They judged you oh so harshly
When the truth was plain to see
A mind that gave us victory
Chained by narrow hate's decree
And in the quiet of the meadow
By the lakeside where you wept
You bit into the apple
Poisoned by the tears you kept
A bite of silent protest
A fruit of knowledge gained
Left us ponder the wonder
And the sorrow that remained
Dust on the Shoulder
Fingers calloused
Strings betray
Words that howl
Won't keep at bay
Trouble's shadows stretch and sway
In the end
The price you pay
Rusted blade
A heart gone cold
Echoes whisper
Lies they told
Midnight barrels
Fear unfolds
In the dark
The truth is sold
Dust on the shoulder
Wind in the trees
Voices that smolder
Lost in the breeze
Rivers run colder
Nights never cease
Hands on the trigger
Begging for peace
Broken bottles
Shattered dreams
Silence louder
Than it seems
Lonely highways
Twisted schemes
In the end
They're just bad dreams
Howls of sorrow
Screams of pain
Kings and jesters
Both insane
Iron shackles
Heavy chain
Freedom's just a fleeting name
Dust on the shoulder
Wind in the trees
Voices that smolder
Lost in the breeze
Rivers run colder
Nights never cease
Hands on the trigger
Begging for peace
Dust on the shoulder
Wind in the trees
Voices that smolder
Lost in the breeze
Rivers run colder
Nights never cease
Hands on the trigger
Begging for peace
Swasticar Blues
Oh, they say there's a man with a fortune so grand
Built rockets and cars with a wave of his hand
But money and power, they darken the soul
And now he's out diggin' a deep, ugly hole
Yeah, he's preaching about freedom, but only his kind
Silences voices he don't wanna find
He'll cry like a child about free speech and rights
Then crush all dissent in the dead of the night
Oh, the Swasticar rolls, down the boulevard wide
With a smug little driver, and his billionaire pride
Goes from zero to fascist in three seconds flat
You can buy one today, if you're cool with all that
Now he's hand-in-hand with the kings of the right
Laughs at the poor and their never-ending fight
Says he's a genius, a man of the stars
While he's buildin' a throne out of misery and wars
So the Swasticar rolls, down the boulevard wide
With a smug little driver and his billionaire pride
Goes from zero to fascist in three seconds flat
You could own one today, if you're cool with all that
And the sycophants cheer, they kneel at his feet
For a throne made of lies and the scraps from his feast
But the ones who resist, oh, they see it so clear
A fool with a throne ain't a king to revere
Yeah, the Swasticar rolls, but the people all see
A man drunk on power ain't a man who is free
It goes from zero to fascist in three seconds flat
You can get one today, but who would want that?
So sing for the truth, let the echoes be loud
For the ones in the shadows, for the lost and the proud
And if you see him comin', just know what he's worth
A zero, a nothing, a plague upon birth
Master of the Midnight Move
From the heart of a country, cold and wide,
Rises a shadow where the truths divide.
Through the eyes of a player who knows the game,
A silent struggle against the tyrant's name.
Oh, master of the midnight move,
In your darkened halls, what do you prove?
In the land of winter's endless night,
We stand against your blinding might.
In the quiet rooms where secrets lie,
A challenge to the power that won't die.
With every pawn and every move,
A whisper of freedom starts to groove.
Oh, master of the midnight move,
In your darkened halls, what do you prove?
In the land of winter's endless night,
We stand against your blinding might.
Against your might.
Masters of Deceit
You build your empires, brick by brick,
With death in your eyes, you make me sick.
You send the young to fight your wars,
While you stay safe behind closed doors.
You speak of peace, but hold the sword,
And sow devision, the burden's we bear
Masters of deceit, kings of despair,
Your greed and power, the burdens we bear.
You paint your lies, but we see through,
The future's bleak, all thanks to you.
You profit from the blood and pain,
Counting coins in the storm and rain.
You write the laws, bend the truth,
Leaving scars on the soul of youth.
You smile and nod, with empty eyes,
While mothers weep and children die.
Masters of deceit, kings of despair,
Your greed and power, the burdens we bear.
You paint your lies, but we see through,
The future's bleak, all thanks to you.
Miracle in Motion
You're the poet in the silence, the dancer in the dark,
The spark that starts a wildfire, the arrow from the arc.
Oh, I see you in the swaying of the willow's gentle bow,
In the spinning of the heavens, I can feel your glow.
You're a whisper in the canyon, a ripple in the stream,
A lantern in the distance, lighting up a dream.
The wind tells your story though you haven't yet cried,
You're the echo of tomorrow, soft as moonlight's tide.
Your father and your mother, they've been running through the rain,
With a pocket full of questions and a shadow full of pain.
But they hear you in the thunder, see your light upon the hill,
A beacon in the distance, a promise to fulfill
Someday you'll be walking where the shadows used to lay,
The sun upon your shoulders and the night you keep at bay.
Oh, the world will try to name you, but you'll teach it something new,
A miracle in motion, the road will follow you.
Singer of the Sun and Moon
In the days of peace and love so free,
A voice emerged with clarity.
Through the echoes of a changing tide,
She sang her truth with eyes so wide.
Oh, singer of the sun and moon,
Your melodies brought light so soon.
In the festival of dreams and song,
You led us where our hearts belong.
From the city parks to the Woodstock stage,
Her voice was wise beyond her age.
With a guitar and a heartfelt cry,
She showed us how to touch the sky.
Oh, singer of the gentle rain,
With every note, you eased our pain.
In the tapestry of love and light,
You wove the songs that felt so right.
Little Man's Throne
In the towers tall, where the shadows grow long,
There's a man who's been singing his own song.
From the golden halls to the bitter streets,
He's a story of triumph and deceit.
Oh, tiny man, what have you done?
You've played your games, now the show must go on.
With your words like fire and your heart of stone,
You've turned the world into your throne.
With promises made of a wall to build,
He deceived the hearts of those unfulfilled.
But behind the smiles, there's a deeper tale,
Of power and greed and the way we fail.
Oh, little man, what have you done?
You've played your hand, and the deal's been spun.
With your words like fire and your heart of stone,
You've turned the world into your throne.
Now the history books will tell your name,
A legacy of fortune, a game of fame.
But the people know, as the seasons turn,
That the lessons learned are the ones that burn.
The Shape I Hold Dear
Your eyes hold a weight that the years can't explain
They shine through the cracks where love hides its pain
You speak like the rivers that run to the sea
With whispers that drown out the doubt inside me
I've seen the storms rage, I've felt the earth fall
But your voice is a thread that stitches it all
Not soft, not gentle, but certain and clear
A truth that's a flame, burning bright, drawing near
Oh, the shape of you, carved in my mind
A map of the world I was meant to find
Through the broken roads and the bitter climb
You've held me steady, you've given me time
You move through the moments that others let fade
A keeper of things the world never made
I watch, and I wonder how one heart contains
The sun and the sorrow, the joy and the rain
And if there's a story at the end of my days
It's written in footsteps that walk in your ways
Oh, the shape of you, it's all I've known
The place I return, the place I've grown
Oh, the shape of you, carved in my mind
A map of the world I was meant to find
Through the broken roads and the bitter climb
You've held me steady, you've given me time
Throughout the years, both quiet and wild
You've carried my heart, my love and my child
A friend, a lover, and a beautiful wife
The soul of my journey, the light of my life
During our journey, I've learned what is true
Life finds its meaning when I share it with you
In all that I've gathered and all I hold near
I carry your love, the shape I hold dear
The Storm Shall Break
Oh, the thunder rolls and the night is black
Smoke is rising, ain't no turning back
Some march for freedom, some march for fame
Some march 'cause they ain't got a dollar to their name
There's fire on the water and blood on the land
A blind man shouts, "Won't ya lend me a hand?"
The cities are burning, the churches all quake
And the wind keeps whispering, "The storm shall break"
Oh, ride, ride, ride that train
Through the valley, through the rain
Hold on tight, don't be afraid
The storm shall break, the storm shall break
The tyrant sits on a chair of gold
Spinning his lies while the world grows cold
But the rivers still run, and the fields still grow
And the hands of the weary still reap what they sow
Now London is weeping, and Paris is chained
And Kyiv is fighting through snow and through pain
From the Yangtze shore to the streets of Rome
A million souls that just want to go home
Oh, ride, ride, ride that train
Through the valley, through the rain
Hold on tight, don't be afraid
The storm shall break, the storm shall break
Now the dust will settle, and the dawn will rise
The bells will ring under the open skies
And the scars of war, they don't fade fast
Cuz echoes of battle, well, they sure do last
So sing it low, sing it true
Sing it for me, I'll sing it for you
For as long as the wind and the river shake
Somewhere, somehow, the storm shall break
Oh, ride, ride, ride that train
Through the valley, through the rain
Hold on tight, don't be afraid
The storm shall break, the storm shall break
Oh, ride, ride, ride that train
Through the valley, through the rain
Hold on tight, don't be afraid
The storm shall break, the storm shall break
The Devil's Bargain
The banker shakes hands with the preacher at dawn
Says, "I'll trade you a soul for a ticking time bomb"
The judge sips his whiskey, the jury's gone blind
The law's just a beggar with his hands tied behind
Oh, the devil's bargain, signed in the sand
They sell you the ocean, they sell you the land
They promise you bread, they hand you a stone
Then tell you be grateful you're not all alone
A beggar buys stocks in a company town
They build up the sky while the people sink down
The rivers run backwards, the clocks start to bend
The war's just beginning, but they call it the end
Oh, the devil's bargain, priced by the pound
They pave over Eden, they flatten the ground
They bury their secrets, they whisper their prayers
Then tell you salvation is sold in the square
The oil man laughs in his ivory hall
Says, "The higher you climb, the harder you fall"
He lights up Havana with gasoline dreams
Then sells you a map to a place he's not seen
Oh, the devil's bargain, dressed up in white
They poison the wells and they call it their right
They offer you freedom, then tighten the chain
Sell you a shelter and then summon the rain
So tally the numbers, the balance is due
The house always wins, but they're betting on you
The ink's turning crimson, the pages still burn
And the wheels keep spinning, but not for their turn
Ah, the devil's bargain, wrapped up in gold
They auction your soul, and call it controlled
But one day the puppets will sever their strings
And the stage will collapse as the guillotine swings
The Night is Long
In the house of the people, the old man stands,
With a trembling voice, he gives commands.
His eyes are weary, but his grip is tight,
Holding the reins through the darkest night.
Oh, the winds of change are cold and cruel,
An iron grasp, a fool's man tool.
Hold on tight, to the threads of fate,
For the night is long, and the dawn must wait.
His speeches falter, his steps are slow,
Yet he clings to the seat where power flows.
The halls of power echo with his name,
But shadows linger, plotting their claim.
Oh, the winds of change are cold and cruel,
An iron grasp, a fool's man tool.
Hold on tight, to the threads of fate,
For the night is long, and the dawn must wait.
There's a serpent waiting with an evil grin,
Eyes on the price, ready to step in.
The old man fights with a heart so bold,
Against the tide, as the night grows cold.
To hold on tight, or let it go.
A crossroads stands, with fate in tow.
In his decision, the night may creep,
Or dawn may break from the depths so deep.
So deep.
Oh, the winds of change are fierce and cold,
An rusty grasp, a story told.
Hold on tight and the threads will break,
For the night is long, and the dawn won't wake.
Whispers of Waves
Salt in the air and the wind at my side
Endless horizons where the lonely abide
Stars are my blanket
My boat is my bed
Dreaming of you in the moonlight's spread
Ocean's a mirror
Your face in the deep
Echoes of laughter that haunt me in sleep
Nights are so silent
The gulls do not cry
Wishing you're here as the long days go by
Oh, the sea's got a hold on the heart of a man
Spent all the seasons with this lonely plan
Waves whisper secrets
But they can't comprehend
Pull of your love that won't ever end
Fishing through shadows that dance on the waves
Stories of old sailors lost in their graves
Tales of the sirens and tempests that brew
None of them compare to missing you
Compass is broken, direction runs wild
Maps were the dreams of a love reconciled
Foghorn is moaning a sorrowful song
Yearnings of distance where I don't belong
Oh, the sea's got a hold on the heart of a man
Spent all the seasons with this lonely plan
Waves whisper secrets but they can't comprehend
Pull of your love that won't ever end
The anchor is heavy, the journey is long
But love's not forgotten in the ocean's song
I'll sail through the storm with the calm and the blue
And dream of the map that will lead me to you
Lady Liberty Where Have You Fled
They locked up a girl for the words that she wrote
Dragged her through states in a government coat
No lawyer, no warning, just chains on her name
Now speech is a crime and the badge holds the flame
The airwaves are silent, the students all hide
For the truth gets you vanished or jailed in the tide
If you chant for the hungry or speak for the dead
They will brand you a traitor for the words that you said
Oh, Lady Liberty, where have you fled?
You have sold all your stars and stained all your red
The torch that you carried has been doused in disgrace
Now the law wears a mask and will not show its face
He slammed shut the gates with a grin and a pen
Saved space on the lifeboat for pale, wealthy men
Watched the war-torn collapse in the heat and the smoke
Called mercy a sickness, and justice a joke
The guards say it is orders, the judges say wait
While the boat to redemption drifts empty and late
They pray in the desert, they die in the cold
As ironclad gates crush the brave and the bold
Oh, Lady Liberty, where have you fled?
You have sold all your stars and stained all your red
The torch that you carried has been doused in disgrace
Now the law wears a mask and will not show its face
They circle the globe with a ledger and gun
Writing contracts in blood for the price of the sun
They traffic in hatred and profit from pain
They would license your life for quarterly gain
Oh, Lady Liberty, where have you fled?
You have sold all your stars and stained all your red
The torch that you carried has been doused in disgrace
And the law dropped its mask with a fascist embrace
Moonlight in My Hands
The warden cracked a sideways grin and tossed the keys to sin
He said, "Son, you best get comfortable, they are not letting justice in."
They lined me up in silence with the moonlight in my hands
While cornfields whispered secrets to the rats beneath the land
My comrade sold me gently to a crowd with empty names
They lit their torches laughing while it was I who bore the blame
A kiss shaped like a dagger was drawn across my chest
The preacher said, "He is dangerous, his soul will not let him rest."
The towers leaned like beggars beneath a paper sky
The mirrors begged for mercy, but the smoke refused to die
A name fell into silence where the marigolds had grown
Love became a lantern left to flicker on its own
The doctors dressed in business suits judged fit for love again
But the ghost of you still lingers on like the venom in my pen
They burned the letters that we wrote, the ink dissolved in rain
And the silence grew in spirals and the light forgot its name
So I will walk alone in silence with a match behind my teeth
For every love they buried in the name of their belief
And if you see me in the distance from the corner of your eye
Know that not all fires flicker and that some will never die
Sad Songs and the Rain
Lonely roads they call my name
Underneath a weeping sky
Strumming chords on this old frame
Raindrops fall, an endless sigh
Puddles form where shadows rest
Echoes murmur ancient lore
Sad songs weave through autumn's crest
The world turns, but I implore
It is the sad songs and the rain
Dancing down my windowpane
Melancholy's sweet refrain
In sorrow joy I gain
Highway lights in blurry mist
Heartbeat syncs with moody songs
In the gloom my heart is kissed
In downbeat dreams my heart belongs
Cigarettes and coffee stains
Trains that rumble far away
Life's refrain in darkened lanes
Night and day they lead my way
It is the sad songs and the rain
Dancing down my windowpane
Melancholy's sweet refrain
In sorrow joy I gain
Til Every Land Is Free
Upon the mountain's brow I gazed on high
Saw clouds that whispered sorrow passing by
A troubled land beneath the burning skies
Where thunder drums, and truth imprisoned cries
Flags of fear waved boldly in the night
Where freedom faded, crushed beneath their might
Yet whispers stirred, resistance ever near
In voices soft but strong, the tyrants fear
Rise, rise, good soul, unite, awake
In bonds of courage, fascist chains we break
Stand firm together, hearts as one shall be
Til every land, every heart is free
In every street, in every captive breath
There sings a song of life against their death
Wherever shadows of oppression fall
A million voices answer freedom's call
We will tear down walls, the silence cannot last
The truth will break the chains of tyrants past
Together rising, stronger than before
With justice's tide, we will wash oppression's shore
Rise, rise, good souls, unite, awake
In bonds of courage, fascist chains we break
Stand firm together, hearts as one shall be
Til every land, every heart is free
So whisper loud and hum along with me
Til every land, every heart is free
Yeah shout it out and sing along with me
Til every land, every heart is free
A Father's Son
Turning wheels, the time rolls on
Saw my boy awaken dawn
Every bell in me was rung
I became a father's son
Hands like paper folded neat
Eyes so wide, the day complete
Silent cries and mother's breath
Begin the path to what comes next
Oh the light upon his face
Dusty boots and window grace
Turning wheels, the time rolls on
Saw my boy awaken dawn
Every bell in me was rung
I became a father's son
Turning wheels, the time rolls on
Saw my boy awaken dawn
Every bell in me was rung
I became a father's son
Songs That Last
