The Word Justice Lyrics - Jackson Browne

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 

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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 drugs 

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 drugs and our wars 

Does the word justice mean anything to you? 

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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