Possession

Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Roland, Anton

A Hunter lyric for Zero - not included in Hunter's lyric book "Box Of Rain."

Eight to ten years for possession
I'm living at the state hotel
I guess I learned my lesson
I guess I learned it well

The judge says, I got no discretion
The law upon that point is clear
Either got to put you up at state expense
Or let you walk away from here

I see you got a prior conviction
That just about ties my hands
They took away my power of decision
I got to honor what the law commands

You were indicted for conspiracy
To obstruct the right of way
The plea was civil liberty
But it wasn't a judge that day

Possession, nine points of the law they say
Possession, take that boy and salt him away
Possession, teach him how to obey
They'd rather let a killer walk the street
Than another damn freak like me

Got a wife and kid on the way
I've never had a nose for crime
Someone passed me a joint one day
And now I'm doing federal time

Got a letter from wife that read
I just met another man
It ain't that I don't love you, it said
I hope you understand

Guess my luck ain't all that bad
Smiling through my tears
Seems that the D.A. knew my dad
Or I might have got twenty years

Killer comes and a killer walks
While I sit rotting in here
The scene of the crime is the ballot box
And people who vote from fear

Possession, nine points of the law they say
Possession, take that boy and salt him away
Possession, teach him how to obey
They'd rather let a killer walk the street
Than another damn freak like me

Possession, nine points of the law they say
Possession, take that boy and lock him away
Possession, I've come to understand
They'd rather free a man with blood on his hands
Than another damn freak like me