Harder Cards

(album: Back To The Well - 2003)

Well, a hammer fell down on a .44 primer
And that was one less problem in South Carolina tonight
Wrong or right.

She just looked to me as she finished her tale
The blank expression went another pale shade of gray
There was nothing to say.

In the shadows of her face I saw the scars
That you get when you live where love is hard
And she said,

"Don't you sit and judge me from some high and mighty seat."
"Don't you shrug it off until you've walked a mile in my bare feet."
"There are people that you pass by every day
With harder cards than yours in life to play."

Well, I put the cuffs on her and sat her in the car
Walked inside, he was laying on the floor stone dead
Been shot in the head.

There were whiskey bottles and dope by the chair
A starving baby with nothing to wear but tears
So the picture was clear.

He had finally pushed her way across the line
And the badge I wore was losing all its shine
And she said,

"Don't you sit and judge me from some high and mighty seat."
"Don't you shrug it off until you've walked a mile in my bare feet."
"There are people that you pass by every day
With harder cards than yours in life to play."

I just stood there thinking how justice is blind
But after thirty five years you learn to read the signs
So I made up my mind.

I took the cuffs oof her and I walked her back in
Wiped the gun off and wrapped it in his right hand
Where it should've been.

And the morning paper read in black and white
It's just another senseless case of suicide
Suicide.

Oh, but don't you sit and judge me from some high and mighty seat
Don't you shrug it off until you've walked a mile along my beat
There are people that you pass by every day
With harder cards than yours in life to play.

Well, a hammer fell down on a .44 Primer
And that was one less problem in South Carolina tonight...