a brotherhood

Lyrics

A Ballot Ain’t a Brotherhood Verse 1 I stood in line beneath the courthouse clock, With a pocket full of change and a head full of doubt, While the boys on the television traded promises like stock, And the folks in the parking lot were picking their side out. They said, “Son, if you ain’t with us, then you’re surely with the rest,” Like a man can’t have a conscience that won’t fit inside a chest, So I marked my little circle and I headed for the door, Wondering what all that freedom was supposed to mean anymore. Chorus 1 ‘Cause a ballot ain’t a brotherhood, a slogan ain’t a song, And you can’t build a country if you spend your whole life proving someone wrong. There’s a neighbor down the road from you who’s hurting just the same, But you’ve been taught to hate his politics before you learn his name. So put away your banners, boys, and come on down the line, We’ve got more in common than the parties have designed. If we’re ever gonna change this place, there’s something we must do: A ballot ain’t a brotherhood, but a brotherhood starts with you. Verse 2 I’ve seen the courthouse promises fade like a handbill in the rain, Seen a hundred different candidates come selling us the same. They’ll shake your hand in daylight, then they’ll vanish when it’s dark, Leaving working folks to wonder who remembers where they are. And the left says you’re a villain if you question what they preach, While the right says you’re a traitor if you wander out of reach. But I ain’t giving either side the deed to my belief; I can disagree with half the world and still sit down to eat. Chorus 2 ‘Cause a ballot ain’t a brotherhood, a slogan ain’t a song, And you can’t build a country if you spend your whole life proving someone wrong. There’s a neighbor down the road from you who’s hurting just the same, But you’ve been taught to hate his politics before you learn his name. So put away your banners, boys, and come on down the line, We’ve got more in common than the parties have designed. If we’re ever gonna change this place, there’s something we must do: A ballot ain’t a brotherhood, but a brotherhood starts with you. Verse 3 So I went down to the feed store where the old men pass the time, Found a woman running numbers and a carpenter off the line. There was a teacher, there was a trucker, there was a man who’d lost his farm, And we talked about our troubles without reaching for our arms. We didn’t settle every question, didn’t leave there all agreed, But we found a few things worth defending and a few things folks might need. And we made ourselves a promise, not to wait upon a throne, For the hands that build a better world are the hands we call our own. Chorus 3 ‘Cause a ballot ain’t a brotherhood, a slogan ain’t a song, And you can’t build a country if you spend your whole life proving someone wrong. There’s a neighbor down the road from you who’s hurting just the same, But you’ve been taught to hate his politics before you learn his name. So put away your banners, boys, and come on down the line, We’ve got more in common than the parties have designed. If we’re ever gonna change this place, there’s something we must do: A ballot ain’t a brotherhood, but a brotherhood starts with you. Chorus 4 — Final Chorus / Outro No, a ballot ain’t a brotherhood, and a promise ain’t a plan, And a country isn’t governed by a television man. It’s the meeting at the union hall, the neighbors lending hands, The folks who keep on showing up and learning how to stand. Let the parties keep their colors, let the talking heads debate, We’ll be busy building something they can’t hand us from a state. And if freedom means we’re equal, then let equal voices ring: A ballot ain’t a brotherhood, but together we can build a thing. A ballot ain’t a brotherhood… But a brotherhood starts with you.