The Truth Will Get You Arrested

he held that truth like a fist full of lightning
he put it out in the world and he let it go
and it went viral out into cyberspace
till nobody could say that they didn’t know

what you don’t know can kill you
and the truth will get you arrested

you shoulda seen ‘em poppin’ off shots from the helicopter
as it hovered overhead
you shoulda seen ‘em duck and run for cover
tangled in he wounded and he dead
it wasn’t like they said it was gonna be
there were no heroes in the white hats
those people on the ground they weren’t even soldiers
they were civilians, what do you think about that

what you don’t know can kill you
and the truth will get you arrested

they came for Bradley Manning
and they put him in a little white room where the light was always on
they locked the door behind them
they said we’re gonna give you justice until the justice is all gone

what you don’t know can kill you
and the truth will get you arrested

secrets are the fuel to run the big machine
secrets are the poison of our history
secrets are a coward, they don’t like to be seen
the hide in mystery, mystery

what you don’t know can kill you
and the truth will get you arrested

they say that history is written by the victors
who define it and then they nail it down
but history is a wheel
and wheels spin around
you can’t hide away for ever, you know
sooner or later somebody’s gonna see
and Chelsea Manning blew the whistle
and that makes her a hero to me

what you don’t know can kill you
and the truth will get you arrested