[Verse 1]
You said keep your eyes on the treeline
Count the shadows
Count your sins
Every snap of twig behind me
Felt like teeth against my skin
You drew monsters in the margin
Told us stories by the fire
Pointed out into the darkness
While you tightened up the wire
[Chorus]
The sheep spends all its days
Shaking at the edge of the woods
Praying that the wolf stays away
Doing everything it should
But it’s not those eyes in the night
It’s the hand that holds the rope tight
The sheep will spend its life fearing the wolf
Only to die by the shepherd’s knife
[Verse 2]
You named enemies for profit
Sold us terror by the pound
Built a fence from every headline
Said
“Stay quiet
Stay low down”
We were busy watching monsters
That you painted big and black
While your ledger fat and heavy
Pressed our necks against your lap
[Chorus]
The sheep spends all its days
Shaking at the edge of the woods
Praying that the wolf stays away
Doing everything it should
But it’s not those eyes in the night
It’s the hand that holds the rope tight
The sheep will spend its life fearing the wolf
Only to die by the shepherd’s knife
[Bridge]
So tell me what are you guarding? (hey)
And who are you guarding me from?
If I’m always safe in your pasture
Why do I sleep with my shoes on?
[Chorus]
The sheep spends all its days
Shaking at the edge of the woods
Praying that the wolf stays away
Doing everything it should
But it’s not those eyes in the night
It’s the hand that holds the rope tight
The sheep will spend its life fearing the wolf
Only to die by the shepherd’s knife