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William Weld in the 21st Century Lyrics by Ted Leo

The Hanged Man

2017

[Verse 1]
William Weld sees the 20th century
Fading away in the night
The curtain fell on this old noble venture
He waits in the lane for his flight
[Chorus 1]
Doesn't bend as he walks down the jetway, bag in hand
Don't pretend there won't be profound regret there when he lands
William felt he could save his country
He gave it away without a fight
[Verse 2]
William held to his quiet dignity
Who wouldn't think to admire?
Honor, love and the holy trinity
Who wouldn't think they'd inspire?
[Chorus 2]
But there's a rend in the veil of the temple he can't hide
And he can't mend while they all disassemble what's inside
Under the spell of staid respectability
We're getting near to the fire
[Bridge]
And all the men who knew better yet
They hedged their bets and they abet, abet, they abet, abet
They ain't apologized yet for what they abet
They ain't apologized yet for what they abet
And they won't turn around, they always let you down
No, they won't turn around, they'll always let you down
No, they won't turn around, they're gonna let you down
No, they won't turn around, they're gonna let you down
[Verse 3]
Men of breeding and men of sanity
Men selling men out of time
Men in need of a shaking of vanity
Wander away from the crowd
Credits
Ted Leo

Ted Leo

About “William Weld in the 21st Century” by Ted Leo

Read the complete lyrics to "William Weld in the 21st Century" by Ted Leo from the album "The Hanged Man" in 2017. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Rock, Punk Rock, Folk Punk.

"William Weld in the 21st Century" is performed by Ted Leo. from the album "The Hanged Man" in 2017 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "William Weld in the 21st Century", explore more songs by Ted Leo using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"William Weld in the 21st Century" is credited to Ted Leo. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"William Weld in the 21st Century" appears on "The Hanged Man" in 2017.

Visit the Ted Leo artist page at /artist/ted-leo for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.