[Verse 1] Toy truck flipped in the dust Name tag stuck to his shirt Crayon suns in his backpack All that color in the dirt Mother screaming into silence Tongue turned salt and stone Cameras catching just the outline Headlines say it like it’s known [Chorus] The kids on the ground (casualties of war) They never signed up For anybody’s cause Little hands open Like they’re asking what for The kids on the ground Casualties of war [Verse 2] Soccer ball in the rubble Half a field Half a dream School bell buried under concrete Still ringing in the seams Leaders talk in tidy phrases Push the borders on a screen While a brother holds his brother Like he’s stuck inside a dream [Chorus] The kids on the ground (casualties of war) They never signed up For anybody’s cause Little hands open Like they’re asking what for The kids on the ground Casualties of war [Bridge] Tell me how you count the cost When the future’s what you lose Every promise Every prayer Wears the same worn shoes [Chorus] The kids on the ground (casualties of war) They never signed up For anybody’s cause Little hands open Like they’re asking what for The kids on the ground Casualties of war
