Lives In The Balance
Fred Martin & The Levite Camp Lyrics
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For a week or a month or a year
With the blood in the ink of the headlines
And the sound of the crowd in my ear
You might ask what it takes to remember
When you know that you've seen it before
Where a government lies to a people
There's a shadow on the faces
Of the men who send the guns
To the wars that are fought in places
Where their business interests run
On the radio talk shows and TV
You hear one thing again and again
How the USA stands for freedom
And we come to the aid of a friend
But who are the ones that we call our friends
These governments killing their own
Or the people who finally can't take anymore
And they pick up a gun or a brick or a stone
And there are lives in the balance
There are people under fire
There are children at the cannons
And there is blood on the wire
There's a shadow on the faces
Of the men who fan the flames
Of the wars that are fought in places
Where we can't even say the names
They sell us the president the same way
They sell us our clothes and our cars
They sell us everything from youth to religion
The same time they sell us our wars
I want to know who the men in the shadows are
I want to hear somebody asking them why
They can't be counted on to tell us
Who our enemies are
But they're never the ones to fight or to die
And there are lives in the balance
There are people under fire
There are children at the cannons
And there is blood on the wire
This powerful song, Lives In The Balance by Fred Martin & The Levite Camp, speaks about the constant war and violence that is prevalent in society. The opening line talks about the constant anticipation that people have towards a change, a revolution or perhaps a resolution. The lyrics then go on to talk about how the government lies to its people and how the country is always on the brink of war. The song highlights the fact that there are people in power who send men and women to war without considering the consequences.
The lyrics talk about the faces of the men who send people to fight in wars where their business interests are at play, and there are lives at risk while they fan the flames of war. In the midst of this chaos and bloodshed, there are children who are caught in the crossfire and are at risk, hence the phrase 'children at the cannons.' There is also blood on the wire, indicating that the media has a hand in this chaos and is responsible for adding to the fear and the war-mongering.
The song concludes with the question of who the men in the shadows are, and why they cannot be counted on to tell the truth about who the enemies are. Lives In The Balance is a poignant indictment of a society that has been torn apart by constant war and violence, and it remains relevant even today.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been waiting for something to happen
I've been waiting for something to happen
For a week or a month or a year
For a week or a month or a year
With the blood in the ink of the headlines
The headlines reflect the violence and suffering of the world
And the sound of the crowd in my ear
The constant noise of society builds a dissonant sound of suffering
You might ask what it takes to remember
It's important to remember what is happening in the world
When you know that you've seen it before
We can't ignore current events, they're similar to history repeating itself
Where a government lies to a people
Governments often deceive their citizens
And a country is drifting to war
War is a likely outcome of a dishonest government
There's a shadow on the faces
The people pulling the strings have a dark presence
Of the men who send the guns
The people responsible for perpetuating war are heartless and cruel
To the wars that are fought in places
Wars are often located in areas adjacent to business interests
Where their business interests run
War is often profitable for the people in power
On the radio talk shows and TV
Media is often a mouthpiece for the government's narrative
You hear one thing again and again
Propaganda is repeated until it's taken as truth
How the USA stands for freedom
The US government lauds itself as a beacon of liberty
And we come to the aid of a friend
We will fight alongside our allies, even if unprovoked
But who are the ones that we call our friends
The government defines 'friends' as they see fit
These governments killing their own
Some 'friends' commit atrocities against their own people
Or the people who finally can't take anymore
Some 'enemies' are actually victims tired of suffering
And they pick up a gun or a brick or a stone
The desperate resort to violence when their voice goes unheard
And there are lives in the balance
People's lives are literally at risk in times of war
There are people under fire
People are being attacked and harmed daily
There are children at the cannons
Children are often casualties of war
And there is blood on the wire
The brutality of war has consequences that are often forgotten
There's a shadow on the faces
The powerful have a dark influence on society
Of the men who fan the flames
Those who propagate war are the ones who benefit from it
Of the wars that are fought in places
War is often conducted in secret and remote areas
Where we can't even say the names
The horrors of war often go unrecognized and ignored by society
They sell us the president the same way
The government manipulates the masses through propaganda
They sell us our clothes and our cars
Consumerism is heavily promoted to keep the economy going
They sell us everything from youth to religion
The government benefits from selling things to its loyal citizens
The same time they sell us our wars
The government profits from war even as it tries to glorify it
I want to know who the men in the shadows are
The government's true leaders need to be scrutinized for their decisions
I want to hear somebody asking them why
The media should demand transparency in government decision-making
They can't be counted on to tell us
Government doesn't always have the public interest at heart
Who our enemies are
Governments need to be honest about the reasons behind war
But they're never the ones to fight or to die
The people in power don't suffer the consequences of war
And there are lives in the balance
People's lives are always on the line during wartime
There are people under fire
People are always at risk in times of war
There are children at the cannons
Children are at risk during war, and their safety must be a priority
And there is blood on the wire
War has brutal consequences that can't be ignored
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JACKSON BROWNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind