Josh Ritter - Torch Committee (Audio)

New album 'Fever Breaks' out now: https://ffm.to/feverbreaks Live dates: https://www.joshritter.com/#tour Good evening, may we say again How pleased we are that you’ve come in The day was long your bed was soft Still there’s some names we’re crossing off We see here by your file you Have been so loyal brave and true We need not fret you need not fear And so we come to why you’re here The Torch Committee now confirms The truth of rumors lately heard That there come monsters in our midst Well disguised and carefully hid Anywhere and anyone The root of every evil done But you will help us root them out The Torch Committee has no doubt We see your hands and legs are tied In clearest breach of Bylaw Five And left here in this little room In clearest breach of Bylaw Two And though you know that we take pains The process of the law remains All technicalities aside You see our hands are also tied For us the job brings only pain To see you naked in these chains To see you naked where you stand Where so many others have Imagine how it feels each day To send so many men away But see we’ve got a job and we Must dot each I and cross each T Something’s horribly amiss How else could you be on our list Still we all know Directive Twelve All those so named must prove themselves To hungry mob and angry crowd And young men making families proud By means not meant for light of day We wish there was a softer way But wait suppose that we untie Your hands to sign upon this line To pledge that you have always been A patriot and citizen Please ignore the legalese Lawyers (am I right?) now see Why we’re so happy that you came Appendix Three, a list of names Pardon us but we can’t help But laugh, if you could see yourself Relax, it’s always strange to see The names of each Appendix Three Brothers, fathers, sons and wives The ones with whom you’ve shared your life Mothers, daughters, sisters, friends Patriots and citizens Children playing in the street Strangers whom you chance to meet The God to whom you chance to pray The girl with whom you chance to stay We know the monsters, know their names By which they go and which they’ve changed And every whisper that we’ve heard We’ve read their poison every word How we wish that we could say That each of them will walk away But sadly it’s the awful truth It’s Them or Us, it’s Them or You So put your finger to the names The only cure for fear is blame In doing so you’re doing good There’s many called who never would Who stuck by what they thought was right Who disappeared by the dark of night Who disappeared into the breeze And left no family left to grieve There now see that wasn’t so bad And as you leave you can be glad That you have done your little part To fight the monsters in the dark But have a care the night is cold Take a torch before you go And we will keep you safe and warm That’s what the Torch Committee’s for   / joshrittermusic     / joshritter     / joshritter   https://www.joshritter.com