Law Music Video: Jury Duty

Most songs about jury duty are about miscreants trying to get out of it.  This one is different. It may be the most thoughtful one on the topic that I have heard.

Jury Duty

I took a bus all the way downtown,
where 100 of us sat around,
I waited till they called my name,
& they asked if I could fix the blame?
but I know I’ll be judged the way that I judge,
and that’s not usually pretty,
‘cause the measure that I choose is the 1 that they’ll use
when they face me for jury duty, jury duty..

so raise your hand if you recognize
the defendants in their Sunday ties,
as they try to shake the sins of youth,
while the lawyers tug-o’-war the truth,
but we know we’ll be judged the way that we judge,
and that’s not gonna be pretty,
‘cause the measure that we choose is the 1 that they’ll use
when they face us for jury duty..
once I found mercy sweet,
I threw myself at her feet,
& when I asked “am I cursed?”
she laughed: “you’re not the first, you’re not the first.. “

take the worst thing you’ve ever done,
make that moment your defining one,
who of us would get off Scot free?
I’ll tell you now, it sure as hell ain’t me,
‘cause I know I’ll be judged the way that I judge,
that can’t hardly be pretty,
‘cause the measure that I choose is the 1 that they’ll use
when they face me for jury duty,
we all know we’ll be judged the way that we judge,
(I need you to remind me),
that the measure that we choose is the 1 that they’ll use
when they face us for jury duty..

I took a bus all the way downtown
to the courthouse, where we sat around,
I waited till they called my name,
& they asked if I could fix the blame…