By Degrees

[Verse 1: Rosanne Cash]
When I take a look around me
Sometimes I wish I was blind
Feels like something sacred's dying
One headline at a time
I can't tear myself away
No, I just stare in disbelief
You can learn to live with anything
When it happens by degrees

[Verse 2: Josh Ritter]
I've seen every head bowed down
As if lost in private prayer
I've seen the phones in every hand
Seen the long and vacant stares
Of souls gone numb
Thumbing through each ceaseless changing feed
You can learn to live with anything
When it happens by degrees

[Verse 3: Lori McKenna]
I've seen talking heads shout back and forth
Across some great divide
Against a map of red and blue
Points of view so cut and dry
But when you look into the mirror
What color country do you see?
Well, you can learn to live with anything
When it happens by degrees

[Verse 4: Sheryl Crow]
I've seen the flags at half-staff
As the nation mourned and moaned
I've seen the stars and bars a-flying proud
Above the State House dome
For the Charleston Nine, we sing
I once was blind, but now I see
We can learn to live with anything
When it happens by degrees

[Verse 5: Anaïs Mitchell]
I've seen little hands on little shoulders
Children in a line
I've seen them lead away from school
As the shots rang out inside
And I thought something had to change
But somehow it's become routine
We can learn to live with anything
When it happens by degrees

[Instrumental Break]

[Verse 6: Mark Erelli]
And I've seen sadness seep into my heart
Each day a little more
This darkness growing so familiar
I can't recall what came before
My children's faces filled with questions
Looking up expectantly
And I don't know what to tell them
No, I can't bring myself to tell them
That you can learn to live with anything
When it happens by degrees