Crime For Crime Lyrics - Not A Pretty Girl - Ani Difranco

the big day has come 

the bell is sounding 

i run my hands through my hair one last time 

outside the prison walls 

the town is gathering 

people are trading crime for crime 

everyone needs to see the prisoner 

they need to make it even easier 

they see me as a symbol, and not a human being 

that way they can kill me 

say it's not murder, it's a metaphor 

we are killing off our own failure 

and starting clean 

standing in the gallows 

everyone turned my way 

i hear a voice ask me 

if i've got any last words to say 

and i'm looking out over the field of familiar eyes 

somewhere in a woman's arms a baby cries 

i think guilt and innocence 

they are a matter of degree 

what might be justice to you 

might not be justice to me 

i went to far, i'm sorry 

i guess now i'm going home 

so let any amongst you cast the first stone 

now we've got all these complicated machines 

so no one person ever has to have blood on their hands 

we've got complex organizations 

and if everyone just does their job 

no one person has to understand 

you might be the wrong color 

you might be too poor 

justice isn't something just anyone can afford 

you might not pull the trigger 

you might be out in the car 

and you might get a lethal injection 

'cause we take a metaphor that far 

the big day has come 

the bell is sounding 

i run my hands through my hair one last time 

outside the prison walls 

the town has gathered 

people are trading crime for crime 

people are trading crime for crime 

people are still trading crime for crime