Between Us and Them

Lyrics

[Verse 1] 1942, picking up rations for the week A girl looks for a candy bar to find them all but gone The cashier says they've traveled to brave men across the sea She doesn't understand Why aren't there any left for little girls like me? [Chorus] The radio in the back room tries to make sense of it all Where the story being written becomes the writing on the wall Power making promises it never meant to keep With the ocean between us and them Rocking her to sleep [Verse 2] 1973, there's a record on, her daughter sings along Mama looked on the TV as she hushes her song Far away in Vietnam concludes a senseless dispute Mama weeps for the twenty years that we put death in a business suit [Chorus] The television in the back room tries to make sense of it all Where the story being written becomes the writing on the wall Power making promises it never meant to keep With the ocean between us and them Rocking her to sleep [Verse 3] 2004, granddaughter laughing, playing war like it's a game Flatscreen blurry, channels flick, and land on something strange Tanks roll down the sand past crying women, wounded men Grandma shuts them out, you're not to watch the news again Then she tries to get her back, says come and play with me But she says, "I don't feel like playing anymore" [Bridge] As grandma tucks her in and tries to give her some relief She fears her baby's learned what she already knew The truth don't always set you free [Chorus] The little one in her bedroom tries to make sense of it all Where the story being written becomes the writing on the wall Power making promises it never meant to keep With the ocean between us and them Rocking her to sleep