What's It Like

He sleeps in his truck by the edge of town
Got a scar on his face and a flag turned brown
Used to wear stripes, now he paint handles
Folks drive by like he's some kind of scandal

Says he fought for a cause they all forgot
Now he drinks to the silence and the voices he's got
A preacher rolls past, won't meet his eyes
But he still salutes when that eagle flies

God forbid you ever had to bleed
Or lose it all for what you believe
Maybe then you'd drop that pride
And know what it's like to barely survive

She was seventeen, raising a trail of shade
Daddy left scars and mama just prayed
She met some boy with a cross on his chest
But when things got tough he ran like the rest

Now she's standing in line at the county door
Trying to hide the bruise and the name they swore
Church folks whisper, say she's trash
But they don't see her crying in the bath

God forbid you ever had to choose
Between your future and what you lose
Maybe then you'd hold her tight
And know what it's like to fight for a lie

He robbed that bank off Route 18
Wore a mask made from an old marine
Told the clerk, I'm sorry, I just need time
But the judge don't care what breaks a mind

Three jobs gone, two mouths to feed
And rent don't wait when your soul's in need
The papers call him just another thug
But his kid still sleeps with this old work gloves

God forbid you ever had to call
To feed your blood and risk it all
Maybe then you'd drop that spike
And know what it's like to live that fight