[Verse 1] Mr. Skiffington, Police Squad Reports for duty, ain't no facade Got his badge shinin', his gun on his hip Ready to roll, can't let no crime slip [Chorus] Mr. Skiffington, Police Squad Knock twice, check the latch, then walk the block Coffee gone cold, still sharp on the beat One eye on the porch, one eye on the street [Verse 2] Patrol car hummin', through the city he glides Got a feeling somethin' dark in the shadows hides He sips his lukewarm coffee, eyes on the street Past the grain silo and every corner, can't be beat [Verse 3] A call comes in, a petty theft down on Elm Some kid with a skateboard, causing a realm Of minor disturbance, a spray-painted wall Skiffington sighs, answers freedom's call [Chorus] Mr. Skiffington, Police Squad Chain on the side door, porch light on, job well-caught No big speech, just a steady hand He knows River Junction like the back of his hand [Verse 4] He talks to the witnesses, takes down the facts A broken window, a couple of false tracks He knows it's not glamorous, no high-speed chase Just another day, keepin' this city's pace [Verse 5] Back in the cruiser, the radio's low Another night shift, watchin' the city glow He's just a man, with a job to be done Protectin' the peace 'til the morning sun [Bridge] Then the phone cracks in at 2:13 Motel on County Road, and it ain't clean A woman says, "Officer, don't hang up now" He leans on the wheel, says, "I'm on my way out" [Chorus] Mr. Skiffington, Police Squad Late shift legend, cut from plain old cloth Badge on the chest and a hard-earned grin By dawn, the whole county knows he was in
