The Teller's Tune (Summer '24)

The sun beats down in the heart of June Another summer, another tune Played on the strings of a worried land With a story I've come to understand From the asphalt coasts to the dusty plains We're watchin' the heat and prayin' for rains The mercury's climbin', the tempers are, too In the red, white, and the divided blue Oh, the wheel keeps turnin', the story's retold The new-day headlines are the tales of old Some folks gettin' powerful, some folks gettin' brave And the same old questions from the cradle to the grave Yeah, the same old questions, 'til we're all in the grave Down in Atlanta, the stage was set bright

Two old campaigners ready to fight Mr. Biden, Mr. Trump, with words for their swords In front of the cameras and the watchin' hordes They talked of the border, the economy's ache For the soul of the nation, for goodness' sake But the talk on the street is the price of the bread And the words of the prophets you hear in your head Oh, the wheel keeps turnin', the story's retold The new-day headlines are the tales of old Some folks gettin' powerful, some folks gettin' brave And the same old questions from the cradle to the grave Yeah, the same old questions, 'til we're all in the grave In a marble chamber, with a gavel's sound The high court justices gathered 'round

They spoke on the rights of a violent man And who gets to carry a gun in this land They spoke on a pill, a woman's own choice Gave a sigh of relief to a tremblin' voice But the lines are still drawn, the battles still brew Just another old fight that's feelin' brand new So I pick up my guitar, and I travel along Turning the chaos and clamor to song 'Cause every new crisis, and every decree Is a verse I have heard in a different key And the people just listen, and work, and they weep While the promises made are too heavy to keep Oh, the wheel keeps turnin', the story's retold The new-day headlines are the tales of old

Some folks gettin' powerful, some folks gettin' brave And the same old questions from the cradle to the grave Yeah, the same old questions, 'til we're all in the grave