The Ballad Of Ashcroft
(tune: Singing the spirit Home)

They voted against him in the evenin' an hour after the closin'.
The pale white moon was waning in the Missouri sky.
The hotel doors flew wide open. They stood looking at him.
He saw no mercy in their hearts. No pity in their eyes.

Shame, shame, shame,
How many politicians feel this a-way??
To some it is a way of life. To others just a word.
To some it is a snow white dove. To some a bloody sword.
But until the last jests fall.
Our shame will make slaves of us all.

As they poked him and they jabbed him, The endless cameras flashed him
He felt his courage leave him, his manhood disappear
His legs would not support him, so in the newspapers they dragged him
He sobbed and screamed and cursed them in his loneliness and fear

With faces closed and hidden the reporters walked beside him
Indifferent to his pleading, they'd been down this path before
But other eyes were watching other ears were listening.
Other hearts beat with him in his lonesome desperate hour

Shame, shame, shame,
How many politicians feel this a-way??
To some it is a way of life. To others just a word.
To some it is a snow white dove. To some a bloody sword.
But until the last jests fall.
Our shame will make slaves of us all.

From the darkness of the White House came the sound of his brothers singing
"Courage" their voices told him "You do not walk alone"
From their offices beyond the shadow, he heard their voices echo
As in love and pride and sorrow they sang his spirit home

Their song of hope and greedom rang inside that mansion
It beat against the wooden desks and hammered at the walls
As in their mirth and jests they goaded him, the next sound that filled his being
Was his brothers singing, singing his spirit home

Have courage brother you do not walk alone.
We shall walk with you and sing your spirit home.

nathan tompkins