About this episode In this captivating folk ballad, the storyteller recounts the saga of the Thirty-Four Counts—an allegorical reflection on power, justice, and human resilience in today's world. Through poetic verses, listeners are transported to a timeless realm where current headlines are woven into a narrative that echoes across ages. This song offers a fresh perspective on contemporary events, reminding us of our shared humanity and the enduring stories that shape our collective history.
0:00 The summer heat on Manhattan stone0:03 A king of glass upon a wooden throne0:07 Twelve common souls with steady eyes0:10 Looked past the noise and past the lies0:14 Heard whispers of a long-gone storm0:18 A payment made to keep a secret warm0:21 In a hushed-up room of oak and brass0:25 A line was drawn they would not let him pass.0:29 Oh, the scales they swing and the gavels fall0:32 And a new-made truth is writ upon the wall0:36 From the highest tower to the dusty floor0:40 History's knocked on this same door before0:43 Yeah, the story turns another page0:47 For every player on the world's wide stage.0:51 For thirty-four counts, the clerk did read0:54 A tangled web of hurried greed0:58 A ledger line, a pen stroke's cost1:01 A reputation saved and lost1:05 The cameras flash, the pundits shout1:09 Of what this means, there is no doubt1:12 A president, the first to find1:16 The law he swore to leave behind.1:20 Oh, the scales they swing and the gavels fall1:23 And a new-made truth is writ upon the wall1:27 From the highest tower to the dusty floor1:31 History's knocked on this same door before1:34 Yeah, the story turns another page1:38 For every player on the world's wide stage.1:42 And out in the world, the news just rolls1:45 Of silicon gold and striving souls1:49 A line is drawn in southern sand1:52 While justice waits across the land1:56 The sentencing is set for mid-July2:00 Beneath a hot and heavy sky2:03 But the country holds a bated breath2:07 Arguing over life and death.2:11 Oh, the scales they swing and the gavels fall2:14 And a new-made truth is writ upon the wall2:18 From the highest tower to the dusty floor2:22 History's knocked on this same door before2:25 Yeah, the story turns another page2:29 For every player on the world's wide stage.
