Keep Your Papers Dry
by Ant Mezza
Lyrics
Intro
Keep your head down, keep your papers dry
There’s a locked door where the good words lie
Verse 1
They shake your hand while they count your land
Smile for the cameras, ink on their hands
A promise gets filed in a drawer marked “later”
Then the bill comes due from the same old paper
My neighbor got watched for a sign in the yard
A quiet little question became something hard
So we keep our names off the list by the gate
And we share what we have, let the long talk wait
Chorus
Far from their reach, where the county line bends
We make our own rules, we look after friends
No badge at the table, no boots on the floor
A lamp in the window, a bar on the door
They can keep their speeches, their polished parade
We’ll keep each other and the shelter we made
Verse 2
The courthouse clock ticks, the judge won’t look up
A mother counts coins by a chipped coffee cup
They call it protection, then tighten the chain
Send another neat letter explaining the pain
But out by the orchard, we mend what we own
Trade jars of peaches and split firewood home
No grand declaration, no flag in the sky
Just a clean well, a warm stove, and room to ask why
Chorus
Far from their reach, where the county line bends
We make our own rules, we look after friends
No badge at the table, no boots on the floor
A lamp in the window, a bar on the door
They can keep their speeches, their polished parade
We’ll keep each other and the shelter we made
Bridge
If the road gets blocked, take the creek path west
If the knock comes late, let the little ones rest
Keep the medicine packed, keep the old map near
We are safer together when the rumors draw near
Final Chorus
Far from their reach, where the county line bends
We make our own rules, we look after friends
No badge at the table, no boots on the floor
A lamp in the window, a bar on the door
They can keep their speeches, their polished parade
We’ll keep each other and the shelter we made
Outro
A clean well, a warm stove, a room to ask why
Keep your head down, keep your papers dry