Pretty Bird

(Bob Dylan) 

  We live in a political world, 
  Love don't have any place. 
  We're living in times where men commit crimes 
  And crime don't have a face 

  We live in a political world, 
  Icicles hanging down, 
  Wedding bells ring and angels sing, 
  clouds cover up the ground. 

  We live in a political world, 
  Wisdom is thrown into jail, 
  It rots in a cell, is misguided as hell 
  Leaving no one to pick up a trail. 

  We live in a political world 
  Where mercy walks the plank, 
  Life is in mirrors, death disappears 
  Up the steps into the nearest bank. 

  We live in a political world 
  Where courage is a thing of the past 
  Houses are haunted, children are unwanted 
  The next day could be your last. 

  We live in a political world. 
  The one we can see and can feel 
  But there's no one to check, it's all a stacked deck, 
  We all know for sure that it's real. 

  We live in a political world 
  In the cities of lonesome fear, 
  Little by little you turn in the middle 
  But you're never why you're here. 

  We live in a political world 
  Under the microscope, 
  You can travel anywhere and hang yourself there 
  You always got more than enough rope. 

  We live in a political world 
  Turning and a'thrashing about, 
  As soon as you're awake, you're trained to take 
  What looks like the easy way out. 

  We live in a political world 
  Where peace is not welcome at all, 
  It's turned away from the door to wander some more 
  Or put up against the wall. 

  We live in apolitical world 
  Everything is hers or his, 
  Climb into the frame and shout God's name 
  But you're never sure what it is.