The Men Turned Back

Verse 1 The rain came down like judgement On the river and the plain And the men stood in the weather Saying nothing with their shame I had promised them the sunrise I had promised them the edge I had promised them a story With the world beneath the pledge But their boots were split and leaking And their brothers were the ground And the further east I pointed The less they heard the sound Of my voice above the water Of my title in the storm I had made myself a thunderbolt And thunder can get worn Pre-Chorus I said, “One more road” They said, “No more road” I said, “One more dawn” They said, “We want home” Chorus The men turned back And the silence got loud I had conquered the world But I couldn’t move a crowd The men turned back With the rain in their eyes I had taught them to follow But not how to die Verse 2 There were captains looking sideways There were boys looking down There were names carved into leather That would never reach a town I said, “You loved me once” Or I thought it, anyway But love is not a banner When the hunger has its say Every empire has a river Every river has a shore Every king who keeps on asking Finds the place they won’t give more Bridge I could face a charging army I could face a foreign king I could face a city burning I could face almost anything But the hardest thing was standing With the rain against my skin And hearing men who made me Say they would not let me win Final Chorus The men turned back And the silence got loud I had conquered the world But I couldn’t move a crowd The men turned back With the rain in their eyes I had taught them to follow But not how to die Outro The men turned back The horses knew The rain kept falling And I turned too