Another Chapter to Be Told

Down on the Potomac, the air is gettin' tense The midnight clock is tickin', ain't makin' any sense The Speaker's got his gavel, the Senate's in a fight And a million federal workers wonder who will turn on the light They're drawin' lines on paper, for a shutdown, so they say While the park ranger's wonderin' if he'll get his pay It's a game of chicken on the Hill, a story I've heard before 'Bout who will blink the first, before they lock and bar the door. Oh, the headlines change, but the story's old A tale of power, bought and sold

The ink runs dry, the screen goes cold It's just another chapter to be told. From Washington to Wichita, you can feel it in the price Of a gallon of the gasoline, a bag of beans and rice The Chairman at the Federal Reserve, he speaks in measured tones About the interest rates he's raisin' to settle all the loans He's tryin' to tame inflation's ghost, a beast that's runnin' wild But every single percentage point hurts a mother and a child He pulls a lever in a tower, a whisper on the breeze And out here on the pavement, it brings us to our knees.

Oh, the headlines change, but the story's old A tale of power, bought and sold The ink runs dry, the screen goes cold It's just another chapter to be told. And the children stare at glowing screens, a world we can't command While a lawsuit's filed against the men who hold it in their hand And out across the western range, the smoke begins to rise A different kind of headline, painting gray across the skies The firefighters hold the line, against the heat and wind Asking if this fiery circle is ever gonna end.

Oh, the headlines change, but the story's old A tale of power, bought and sold The ink runs dry, the screen goes cold It's just another chapter to be told.