Verse 1
Neon hums like a bad confession,
Dust on my boots, blood on the dime,
Backroom deals and cheap cologne,
Everybody sells a piece of time.
Preacher sweats in a white-collar suit,
Dealer smiles with a Bible loan,
I learned real quick who pulls the strings
When the dogs all kneel to a marble throne.
Pre-Chorus
There’s a hand behind the velvet rope,
Counting sins like pocket change,
You don’t see it till the hammer drops,
Then you’re begging for a change.
Chorus
The fist of Rome runs the show,
Close the curtain, set the lights,
For your gaze and delight,
Yeah the fix is in, but the drinks are cold,
Bow your head when the cash gets tight,
The fist of Rome runs the show tonight.
Verse 2
Chrome-plated promises, back alley truth,
Gold rings cuttin’ into bone,
They sell salvation by the pound,
Ship it freight, collect it prone.
Every vote’s got a price tag swingin’,
Every dream’s got a toll,
You can scream all night in the cheap seats,
But the house already owns your soul.
Pre-Chorus
There’s a laugh in the counting room,
When the dice come up just right,
You can pray, you can curse, you can sue,
But the door’s locked tight.
Chorus
The fist of Rome runs the show,
Close the curtain, set the lights,
For your gaze and delight,
Yeah the fix is in, but the whiskey’s strong,
Truth gets lost in the afterglow,
The fist of Rome runs the show.
Bridge
I ain’t holy, I ain’t clean,
I just see what I see,
When the empire’s built on shaking hands
And the bill comes back to me.
They say smile for the camera, son,
History loves a pose,
But the chains don’t rattle on the screen
When the curtain slowly closes.
Guitar Break
(Dirty shuffle, pinch harmonics, hot-rod grin)
Final Chorus
The fist of Rome runs the show,
Close the curtain, set the lights,
For your gaze and delight,
You can dance, you can kneel, you can toast the throne,
But the house wins every night,
Yeah the fist of Rome runs the show.
Outro
Lights go down, crowd goes home,
Smoke hangs thick like a lie,
Same old hand on the same old wheel,
Watch it roll on by.
DonaldFritsche
