Jackson Browne - The Word Justice lyrics

A man stands up before god and country Raises his right hand and takes an oath Swears he has acted in the line of duty And he more than anyone wants to tell the truth But there is a need to keep some things a secret Some weapons shipments--some private wars In the future democracy will be defended Behind closed doors Now the men of congress who convene to determine If covert war is a business or a crime Are the same men who routinely give their permission For the shedding of blood in security's name And there is a need to keep some things a secret The names of some countries--the terms of some deals And above all the sound of the screams of the innocent Beneath our wheels Does the word justice mean anything to you? Are the features of a lie beginning to come through? In the streets of america the children are buried Caught in an avalanche of weapons and d** They live and they die in the bowels of a business That's disguised as a war between the crips and the bloods And there is a need to keep some things a secret The c.i.a. deals protecting the source And the government policies directly connecting the d** and our wars Does the word justice mean anything to you? As the battlefield comes home and democracy falls through I am waiting for the time to come When the word will be real for everyone And not just a word but a thing that can be done But justice must be won