Shutdown Shadows

Empty halls in the Capitol, cold and grand
A notice glows on every screen in every hand
The memo hit at break of day
Inside those marble halls of gray
We checked our pay our dashboards rust
Paychecks turned to paper dust
Who keeps score when the lights grow dim
What price is paid by her and him
Shadows falling over the land (over the land!)
No steady job, no helping hand (no helping hand!)
We hold our breath, we make a stand (make a stand!)
While shutdown shadows cross the land (cross the land!)
A badge goes home in a plastic bag
Kids count cans with a pantry flag
The phone keeps ringin', hope runs thin
Bills stack up like a winter wind
Red points blue, blue points red
Names get said, but truth plays dead
If blame's the game on every floor
Who opens up a working door
Shadows falling over the land (over the land!)
We won't be numbers on a scan (on a scan!)
Hold out the light, reach out a hand (out a hand!)
Till morning breaks across the land (cross the land!)
Questions linger in the dust
But we keep walking, because we must