Now, gather round and sit right down, let me sing my song;
I'll tell you a little story, it won't take very long.
It happened far away from here, I don't know when it began
But it was back when there were kings and queens and castles in the land.
Now, there lived a duke and a duchess; in all they had no lack
From the food upon their tables to the satin on their backs
They feasted friends at parties, lived a life of ease;
They sang and danced the time away, did the things they pleased.
But all around the castle walls the people of the land
Were crying out in poverty for just a helping hand
With rags around their shoulders, rags around their feet
Asking once before they died just to have enough to eat.
The king he was a righteous man, and when he heard this news
He sent his servant to the duke to warn him of the dues
Of this ol' band of laws he'd enacted for the poor.
But the duke and duchess laughed at him and threw him out the door.
The king he rose in anger, he armed his troops for the war
He laid siege to their castle and battered down the door
He k**ed the ones who resisted him, and the rest were left to stand
Or fall upon the mercy of the people of the land.
From Miami to Seattle, every can kiss the bill;
From LA up to Boston, they're dressing fit to k**.
The walls are made of money now, and armies guard the door.
We still ignore the warnings, while we graft for more and more.
And all around the castle walls the starving millions stand;
They cry out for a piece of bread, and die with empty hands
While the people at the party, pretending no-one's there
But high above, the king of kings hears every little prayer.
His judgement hasn't fallen yet, but there's not a day to spare –
The storm's already gathering, the tension's in the air.
There's no time for excuses, barely time to turn around
And beg the Lord's forgiveness with our knees upon the ground.
And now my story's over, the time for deeds is here
We can serve the Lord for love, or we can serve the Lord for fear;
But refusing his command is not a choice we ought to bear
While the people Jesus died to save, die when we don't care.