We Are All Cowards Now

Time has taught us That they're sending out their sons To take away our guns and our daughters We're all cowards now Rivers rising Darkness fell upon People blotting out the sun Disguising How we're all cowards now At least the Emperor Nero had an ear for music But that's history Caligula said, "Godspeed, my steed" But that's his story They're coming for our Peacemakers Our Winchesters and Colts The rattle of our Gatling Guns Our best cowboy revolts and threats and insults We are all cowards now The emptiness of arms The openness of thighs The p***ography of bullets The promises and prizes can't disguise We are all cowards now They're draping stones with colors And a roll of stolen names Except those we never cared about And those we need to blame We'll extinguish that flame just the same We're all cowards now Arms are empty The p***ography of plenty Count commands from one to ten Number sins from ten to twenty There's an illusion we believe in There is honor in their need Pretty confetti, chemical debt And a necessity to bleed My fears too fleet to scupper My prayers too thin to scream On my lover's back, a zipper On her limb, a straightened seam So close the windows tightly Lower lamps and shades On the screen, silent rehearsals For tomorrow's parades For tomorrow's parades For tomorrow's parades We are all cowards now --- We Are All Cowards Now - Elvis Costello