Tom Morello
Maximum Firepower
[Verse 1]
This one's for the shoeshine boy
And the farmer in debt
Each string is barbed wire
Each chord is a threat
This blues guy I met
That never had a hit
Said you don't gotta be loud, son
To be heavy as shit
Well I'm the triggerman, baby
And tonight I'll prove
That this machine here

Well it kills fascists too
And don't be surprised
If the sermon on the mount
Next time is delivered
In a little coffee house
'Cause somebody here's
Gotta let them know
I doubt it's me
But here I go
I hit the button
Tape started to roll
The song's got fire
But it's got no soul
[Chorus]
There's a lonely stretch of blacktop
Between here and home
Drop down into the valley
Piano playin' in the living room

And when you see the white barn
You'll know the journey's through
My dog's barking in the backseat
'Cause he knows it too

[Verse 2]
You'll need a fake passport
And fix your disguise
And don't fire, sugar
'Til you see the whites of their eyes
I turned the other cheek
But now I'm through
The skin you're in
Makes choices for you
I was checking off names
And I came late to dinner
Seems the slices of pie
Keep getting thinner and thinner

Brothers and sisters
Rejoice and repent
The landlord's dead
You can keep the rent
You got twelve fine friends
But one of 'em's rotten
There's a hole out back
Ain't got no bottom
Forty days in the wilderness
Forty sleepless nights
I'm confused, half blind
And sure I'm right
[Chorus]
There's a lonely stretch of blacktop
Between here and home
Drop down into the valley
Piano playin' in the living room

And when you see the white barn
You'll know the journey's through
My dog's barking in the backseat
'Cause he knows it too

[Verse 3]
Officer please
I won't be long
Called the radio station
Requested this song
I had my doubts
About what I knew
So I turned it up
Then it sounded true
Kiss the ring
If the Queen will let you
But come over the fence
And the dogs will get you

On a rope hung the traitor
On a hook hung the meat
You and me are missing persons
'Til we're counted in the streets
So seize the time
And storm the tower
And come correct
Maximum Firepower
With Maximum Firepower
For the sins of the fathers
The son he must pay
The Nightwatchman giveth
And he taketh away
Thought hard about this next line
Pretty sure it's true
If you take a step towards freedom
It'll take two steps towards you
So mister I ain't scared
And mister I ain't worried
'Cause on that lonely stretch of blacktop
I sit as judge and jury

[Chorus]
There's a lonely stretch of blacktop
Between here and home
Drop down into the valley
Piano playin' in the living room

And when you see the white barn
You know the journey's through
My dog's barking in the backseat
'Cause he knows it too

[Outro]
The clock strikes the hour
Tonight we ride
You've got three more seconds
To choose sides