The Rights that Bite

Lyrics

Know your rights, don’t fold, don’t freeze
They need a warrant, they need the keys
You got the right to stay quiet, the right to a lawyer
Don’t give ‘em the story, don’t make it easier
Verse 1 – Miranda
When the cuffs click tight and the questions start flyin’
You don’t have to talk, ain’t no use in denyin’
“I want my lawyer” is all that you say
Then zip up the lips and let silence hold sway
Anything you spit can be used in the book
So keep it locked down, don’t give ‘em the hook
Verse 2 – Fourth Amendment
They can’t just walk in ‘cause they feel like it today
No random deep pockets, no fishing for play
They need paper from judges, a reason that’s clear
Or your door stays shut and they stay out of here
No warrant, no entry — that’s the line in the sand
Your house and your pockets stay under your hand
Verse 3 – Speedy & Public Trial
You got the right to a trial that don’t drag for years
Public and speedy, a jury of peers
Told of the charges, confront who’s accusin’
Call your own people, no silent confusin’
Counsel for free if the pockets are light
That’s the Sixth in the book, keep the balance upright
Verse 4 – Equal Protection / Due Process
Same rules for the rich and the same for the broke
No special treatment, no quiet backstroke
Due process means steps that they have to respect
They can’t just decide and then leave you unchecked
Fourteenth stays watching, the shield and the sword
Equal under the law — that’s the final word
Bridge
They wrote it in ink so the power stays checked
But the words only work if the people protect
So learn it, repeat it, pass it along
A right that you sleep on is a right that is gone
Chorus
Know your rights, don’t fold, don’t freeze
They need a warrant, they need the keys
You got the right to stay quiet, the right to a lawyer
Don’t give ‘em the story, don’t make it easier