VERSE 1 mama poured the coffee slow, said the paper came at dawn and the headline talked of money that’d been missing all along daddy shook his head and muttered i aint surprised its come to this while the radio kept hummin about a leader gone amiss folks in cedar line been whispering about the deals behind closed doors bout the motorcades at midnight and the strangers on the porch and the courthouse clerk remembers when the books stopped adding right but he locked his lips together like a man who’d seen a fight CHORUS and i just stirred my coffee, watching dust flow through the air while mama said some men get power and forget what’s even fair and daddy said truth’s like a river, it’ll surface in its time and i thought about the ledger they found down in Cedar line VERSE 2 sheriff told the paper that the numbers didn’t match said the money meant for highways somehow ended in a stash there were rumors about investments in a tower far away and a ranch bought for a cousin on a quiet summer day but no one spoke too loudly, for the man was in his prime 2nd term and riding high, saying everything was fine still the preacher’s voice was trembling when he prayed last Sunday night talking temptation in high places and the wages of the light CHORUS (repeat) and i just stirred my coffee, watching dust flow through the air while mama said some men get power and forget what’s even fair and daddy said truth’s like a river, it’ll surface in its time and i thought about the ledger they found down in Cedar line VERSE 3 now the papers say the trail leads to a mansion by the coast where the walls are lined with portraits of the man who bragged the most and the clerk who kept the records, well he vanished in the night left a note that simply read some things just aint worth the fight i just stirred my coffee, hearing thunder start to roll and mama said power’s poison when it settles in the soul daddy whispered give it time son, every secret leaves a sign and i thought about the ledger they found down in Cedar line MUSIC BREAK (no lyrics) FINAL CHORUS RETURN mama poured the coffee slow said the paper came at dawn and the headlines talked of money that’d been missing all along