A Beautiful Mess

Composed by Shimmers

(Verse 1) The TV glows, a pixelated war Red and blue lines drawn across the floor They’re shouting ’til the anchors’ faces strain And all I hear is the sound of pouring rain A promise made, a promise broken down A king is crowned, and then the jester frowns I scroll through headlines, each a brand new fight And wonder who turned out the common light

(Chorus) Oh, what a funny, sad old symphony This nation plays, for all the world to see We wave our flags, we shout our party lines While somewhere, someone quietly intertwines A little hope with a little bit of dread For a future that we can’t quite get our head around It’s a tragic comedy, a beautiful mess A country holding on with just one hand, I guess

(Verse 2) My neighbor’s lawn is covered in a sign For a cause that isn’t really yours or mine He looks at me, I give a friendly wave He looks right through me, like a ghost in a grave We used to talk about the weather and the day Now we just walk the other way He’s so sure he’s right, and I’m so sure I am And the only winner is a silent slam

(Bridge) They tell us we’re a family, under God and stars But we’re just strangers, hiding all our scars We’re building walls where there were open doors And checking every name that walks to our stores But in the quiet moments, in the dead of night Don’t we all just want to be alright?

(Outro) Just one hand, a desperate, tired grip On a ship that’s swaying, as it starts to slip And the only sound I hear is the whispered plea “What happened to the ‘you’ and ‘me’?”