Bearing Witness
Ghostlimb Lyrics
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A railroaded practice to serve the greater public
To provide another body in the casket of consciousness
An acceptance of a failed jurisprudence
And the off chance we deliver the civic duty to bear witness to our collective mistakes
Where every footstep was laid
With pride and persistence
And that whimsical notion of dedication
I never heard of anything so cruel
I never read in history
Of anything so cruel
The lyrics of Ghostlimb's song Bearing Witness speak about the debilitating reality of the criminal justice system which serves the public in a manner that is not just, and how that affects not only the victims but also the people entrusted with delivering justice. The song opens with the words "Grinded down night and day/A railroaded practice to serve the greater public", which suggest that the criminal justice system has been reduced to a mere practice, rather than a means to deliver justice. The second line of the verse "To provide another body in the casket of consciousness" speaks about how the criminal justice system fails not only the victim but also the collective consciousness of society.
The song goes on to question the failings of the system "An acceptance of a failed jurisprudence/And the off chance we deliver the civic duty to bear witness to our collective mistakes", which suggests that society has come to accept that justice is not always delivered, and that it is a mere gamble whether one gets justice or not. The last two lines of the verse, "Where every footstep was laid/With pride and persistence", indicate that the people entrusted with delivering justice have been dedicated and persistent, but the system has failed them. The following lines, "And that whimsical notion of dedication/I never knew", suggest the irony of how the dedication of the people involved in the system is ultimately fickle. The song, thus, calls for society to introspect on its failings and strive towards making the criminal justice system fair and just.
Line by Line Meaning
Grinded down night and day
A forced and constant effort, with no rest or reprieve
A railroaded practice to serve the greater public
A system designed to benefit society at large, but at the expense of individuals
To provide another body in the casket of consciousness
To contribute to the collective understanding of our shortcomings as a society
An acceptance of a failed jurisprudence
Acknowledging that the legal system has flaws and does not always achieve justice
And the off chance we deliver the civic duty to bear witness to our collective mistakes
Though rare, we have a responsibility to witness and hold accountable those who perpetuate injustice
Where every footstep was laid
The groundwork for this flawed system was carefully and deliberately laid
With pride and persistence
Those who designed and maintain the system are proud of their work and will defend it fiercely
And that whimsical notion of dedication
The belief that dedication and hard work can overcome any flaws in the system is naive and misguided
I never knew
The true extent of the injustices perpetuated by this system were unknown to me
I never heard of anything so cruel
The level of cruelty and oppression inherent in this system is beyond my previous understanding
I never read in history
Even in studying the past, I have not encountered such a system of injustice and oppression
Of anything so cruel
This is a truly heinous and unjust system
Contributed by Eli J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.