Bobby Schayer

A rhapsody! Contestants in disguise
A nation of desire
But who will win the prize?
The people stand united,
Reluctantly aligned
Copying and lying
Are the favorite past-time
You've got a chance
To confront the world today
Desperate romance
Is the curse of castaways
What good is skill
If you don't make it to the dance?
Despite circumstance
You've got a chance

Common life depicted on afternoon tv,
Is spiked to give the miserable a vogue identity
Hate your neighbors,
Cheat your friends,
They don't discriminate
Popularity and fame don't care
If you're a reprobate

You've got a chance
To confront the world today
Desperate romance
Is the curse of castaways
What good is skill
If you don't make it to the dance?
Despite circumstance
You've got a chance

I'm tired of all this
Shakespearean misinformation
I want to win the game
You've got the right intentions
But who's got time to think?
You've got a noon appointment,
You've got to hit the links
You're talking in the stratosphere,
You're curled up on the floor
With such a wealth of information,
Why are you so poor?
You've got a chance
To be relevant today
Desperate romance
Is the curse of castaways
What good is skill
If you don't make it to the dance?
(don't you believe what the wise men have to say)
Despite circumstance
You've got a chance

All those stories that my dad told me,
they are just a whisper in time
All those things that never came to be,
they are just a whisper in time
A whisper in time, a whisper in time
Things that I can't shake from my mind
A whisper in time, a whisper in time
Moments that just flicker and die
(memories that flicker and die)
All those places I wanted to go,
they are just a whisper in time
All those friends who now I do not know,
they are just a whisper in time
A whisper in time, a whisper in time
Things that I can't shake from my mind
A whisper in time, a whisper in time
Moments that just flicker and die
Maps and roads that brought me here today,
they are just a whisper in time
Circumstances that were explained away,
they are just a whisper in time
A whisper in time, a whisper in time
Things that I can't shake from my mind
A whisper in time, a whisper in time
Moments that just flicker and die
'Cuz we are messengers of memory
Just whispers in time

There's a purpose, and there's a goal
There's a virtuous, and immoral
There's a reason, for all of this
But I don't know what it is

I am one, and plural too
I accept them, but they exclude
I could make sense, of all of this
But I don't know what it is

The seeds of inspiration never germinated in my mind
The beacon of awakening is somewhere that I can't find
So I don't know what it is

There's a beginning, and there's an end
There's a climax, some would contend
There's a way to, signify this
But I don't know what it is

The seeds of inspiration never germinated in my mind
The beacon of awakening is somewhere that I can't find
So I don't know what it is, show me something more definitive
I don't know what it is

There's a purpose, and there's a goal
There's a virtuous, and immoral
There's a reason, for all of this
But I don't know what it is

I am one, and plural too
I accept them, but they exclude
I could make sense, of all of this
But I don't know what it is

The seeds of inspiration never germinated in my mind
The beacon of awakening is somewhere that I can't find
So I don't know what it is

There's a beginning, and there's an end
There's a climax, some would contend
There's a way to, signify this
But I don't know what it is

The seeds of inspiration never germinated in my mind
The beacon of awakening is somewhere that I can't find
So I don't know what it is, show me something more definitive
I don't know what it is

Watch It Die
I was born on planet earth,
the rotating ball where man comes first,
it's been around for a long, long time,
but now it's time to watch it die
I saw a man on my big blue screen,
he ruled the world economy,
he said the rich would never concede,
but some day soon he'll be put to sleep,
I've seen the life of the forest gree,
and adaptations of the deep blue sea,
and who knows who is the fittest,
they will all soon be put to sleep,
on a plunging flight and we're sitting
in the pilots seat in the midst of life,
people on a dark horizon praying
somebody will save their lives
I was born on planet earth,
at a drastic time full of plastic mirth,
and every day I've seen increasing signs,
and you would too if you'd opened your eyes,
you had a chance, you did not try,
so now it's time to watch it die.

I was born on planet Earth
The rotating ball where man comes first
It's been around for a long, long time
But now it's time to watch it die

I saw a man on the big blue screen
He ruled the world economy
He said the rich would never concede
But someday soon he'll be put to sleep

I've seen the life of the forest green
And adaptations of the deep blue sea
And who know who is the fittest?
They will all soon be put to rest

On a plunging flight
And we're sitting in the pilot's seat
In the midst of life
People on a dark horizon, praying somebody will save their lives

I was born on the planet Earth
At a drastic time full of plastic mirth
And every day I've seen increasing signs
And you would too if you'd open your eyes

You had a chance, you did not try
So now it's time to watch it die

A Walk
I'm going for a walk
not the after dinner kind
I'm gonna use my hands
and I'm gonna use my mind
and who the hell are you to tell me what to do?
you can't even tie your own haggard shoes
your closet is a mess, and your backyard's falling down
and I have no grand ideas or intentions of sticking around
I'm gonna build a world
independant and exempt
all alone I'll be an empire
with no mortgage and no rent
and I don't need to live in your stinking zoo
you can't even feed the animals donated to you
your storage sheds are ramshackled, flies decorate the walls
and you expect me to die here in this shit-filled tiny stall?
and I know you're watching! everything I do
call me threat to your children call me socially unglued
call me master of insanity, unable to relate
call me lazy, bane, and filthy
call me monstrous reprobate
I'm going for a walk and there's nothing you can do
cuz I don't have to live like you
so I'm going for a walk.

Victory
the velveteen and oaken soothed the lonely child
the parents watched the escort take him while they stood outside
the priest was kind and gentle as he positioned his head
the pain was like brimstone, but the kid hardly bled
victory
instinct over intellect
victory
it erupts from deep inside
history
history is laughing at us
plotting its discovery
victory, victory
blame it on the victory
among the parade crowd there stands a decorated man
remembering how he helped to save this sacred land
his helpless enemy was wounded, both hands raised with hope
he killed him without second thought, with brute force and a rope
so many times, so many lives
test the other side
waiting to see what the maker has in mind
the unsuspecting commoners hum diligent each day
they wallow in their father's sins, as time passes away
the crimes are without motive but they ignore all restraint
the evil sits inside them torpid timing its escape.

what will prove to be our big mistake?
short sighted arrogance all for what sake?
our families to ashes, our ambition to dust
our progeny in silence thinking "what about us?"

but don't forget the dance of neglect
the march for empowering prosperity
the pain from loss and want for mere lucidity
just maternal residue, and I was there too
and maybe so were you

when something is won it comes with sacrifice
it's there beneath the joy, the glory and pride
rarely it's acknowledged but in positive light
consciously omitting the losers' plight

but don't forget the dance of neglect
the craving for community that never was met
the longing for status and the overture of regret
with no one to deter, pathetically unsure
forgetting who they were

just maternal residue, and I was there too
and maybe so were you

There's a light on in the hallway, so I can't understand
Why you hide underneath the cover
There's a baby in your womb, so don't be scared tonight
'Cause Raggedy Ann is in the closet picking posies

Two babies in the dark, like diamonds in the sand
While Papa's far away making up children's stories
The little ones inside, so afraid to be alone
She's tired of being brave until the daddy comes home

So if you chance to see her, please tell her it's alright
'Cause everyone fights the tendency to snap sometimes
It's not a matter of being brave and strong
'Cause noises in the house are terrifying

Two babies in the dark, like diamonds in the sand
While Papa's far away making up children's stories
The little ones inside, so afraid to be alone
She's talking to herself now 'cause no one's home

I'll put you to sleep at night like a foreign movie
I'll sing you lullabies and I'll teach you about everything
And I'll only ask one thing
Please save me

A refreshing plunge, a drink of palatable water
A deep inspiration on a warm summer day
A safe stroll in the middle of a road community
A neighbor who in times of need will not turn away

I ain't no politician
I am a citizen
And I wonder if I'm living too far out of bounds

Community protection, rehabilitation
Police that serve without legitimate right to maim
Global awareness, ecological guilt
Cultural and environmental awakening

I ain't no optimist
I try to be a realist
I wonder if I'm thinking too far out of bounds

Is it too much to ask?
Could it be the earth is shrinking?
I can see the walls closing in
No one can take much for granted anymore

Remote control, three cars for every family
Corruption at the expense of the simple majority
A violent crash, a plunder of the third world
Any wretched plot that bolsters our economy

I ain't no blind supporter
I'm a conscious citizen
And I know that we are living too far out of bounds

I ain't no politician
I ain't no blind supporter
I ain't no metropia, I am a citizen
And wonder if I'm living too far out of bounds

Is it too much to ask?
Can we keep the earth from sinking?
I can see the walls closing in
No one can take much for granted anymore

You better not take it for granted anymore
I'm not taking nothing for granted anymore

Everyday we profit so, leaning toward the great unknown
Asking how it pertains to tomorrow
Aim for places we've not been, trample paths that go between
Yesterday's foundations and tomorrow

It's the way they say it's got to be
We spear ahead and forge our destiny
Who do they represent, who do you believe?
Make a sound decision for others to heed

Try to set a faster pace
Try to build a master race
One that will make a contribution to tomorrow

It's the way they say it's got to be
We put aside our fears and make history
The clothes are in the dryer and the writing's on the wall
We're trying everything we can to stop this fall

Everyday we profit so
Leaning toward the great unknown

Everyday we profit so, leaning toward the great unknown
Asking how it pertains to tomorrow
Aim for places we've not been, trample paths that go between
Yesterday's foundations and tomorrow

It's the way they say it's got to be
We spear ahead and forge our destiny
Who do they represent, who do you believe?
Make a sound decision for others to heed

Try to set a faster pace
Try to build a master race
One that will make a contribution to tomorrow

It's the way they say it's got to be
We put aside our fears and make history
The clothes are in the dryer and the writing's on the wall
We're trying everything we can to stop this fall

Everyday we profit so
Leaning toward the great unknown

The brown and orange sky holds its breath
As the sun retreats to the distant horizon
And our hearts palpitate anxiously as we soon will lay supine
And wait for sleep to overcome us

And from somewhere in our black subconscious minds when we're asleep
Comes a haunting swelling mass of voices resonating
It screams of forgotten victims and the cries of innocence
And the desperate plea for recognition and recompense

Tiny voices
Echoes of our heritage, our long and sallow faces turn the other way
Tiny voices
Harbored deep within as we outwardly deny that they have something to say
And if you don't confront them they will never go away

The billions of tiny pinhole embers fade into a morning sky
Filled with poignant morose wonder
Waking to bear a cosmetic peace that verifies the turmoil
That we carry deep inside

And from somewhere in our black subconscious minds when we're asleep
Comes a haunting swelling mass of voices resonating
It screams of forgotten victims and the cries of innocence
And the desperate plea for recognition and recompense

Tiny voices
Echoes of our heritage, our long and sallow faces turn the other way
Tiny voices
Harbored deep within as we outwardly deny that they have something to say
And if we don't confront them they will never go away

Shut your eyes
See the future's distant shore
March ahead
More enlightened than before
And there's sure to be bumps and distractions
but I know we'll get through
There will be me, there will be you
There will be a way
Unresolved repercussions from your life
Fortified with the vitriol of strife
And you can be gridlocked by predictions,
But you're wise grab the prize
Then revise, realize
there will be a way
Hey... Ho
And I don't know where we are going
but we're here on this ride
And we'll stand side by side
all along the way
Follow me to the future's distant shore
Vagary needn't haunt us anymore
And now it's time to set the agenda,
Learn the past, make it last
Share the wealth, hold your fire,
conserve life, make it right
kill the hate, negotiate
There will be a way

Despite that he saw blatant similarity, he struggled to find a distinctive moiety
All he found was vulgar superficiality
But he focused it to sharpness and shared it with the others
It signified his anger and his misery

Them and us, lobbying determined through a mire of disbelievers
Them and us, dire perpetuation and incongruous insistence
That there really is a difference between them and us

Hate is a simple manifestation of a deep-seated self-directed frustration
All it does is promote fear and consternation
It's the inability to justify the enemy
And it fills us all with trepidation

Them and us, bending the significance to match a whimsied fable
Them and us, tumult for the ignorant and purpose for the violence
A confused loose alliance forming them and us

And I heard him say we can take them all
We can take them all
We can take them all, that's what he said
We can take them all

But he didn't know who we were and he didn't know who they were
And there wasn't any reason or motive or value to his story
Just allegory, imitation glory
And a desperate feeble search for a friend

Them and us, lobbying determined through a mire of disbelievers
Them and us, dire perpetuation and incongruous insistence
Tumult for the ignorant and purpose for the violence
A confused loose alliance forming them and us

We can take them all
We can take them all

since the start of the 17th century
there's been the scent of unseasoned wood burning in the air
and the conquest of nature meant nothing at all
while we betray exception we take all that's there

but motives are translucent in the reflection of shame
the actions ghostly remnants of our ancestral ways
and unwittingly you just take your place in this parade
the voracious march of godliness makes us all the same anyway
all the same...

since the dawn of our human family
there's been concentrated sepsis blowing in the breeze
and we turned on each other with ferocity
desperation, forced, without reprieve

but the missions were misguided and the trammeled led astray
the air resounds with thunder as the victor seized the day
and the haunting voice of history lives ignored but not betrayed
the voracious march of godliness will get us close to heaven one day
some day...

the voracious march of godliness (6x)
the voracious march of godliness makes us all the same anyway
all the same...

Neighbors, nobody loves you like we do. Neighbors, your government has triumphed in finally making you a public fit for the 21st century. Never before has a governing body shown so much concern for the economic well-being of its subjects. Today we have insulated you from countless factions who threaten your financial viability; such as the poor; the idealistic foreigners still clinging to their childish notions of social welfare; why, you're even kept uninformed of useless propagandist journalism that reports alleged violations of human rights (we all know they wouldn't have been punished if they hadn't been doing something WRONG!!). And who better to dispense such blatantly evident factoids but a self-appointed authority like myself?

Acid Rain is a thing of the past.... too many possible causes, too little significance for our modern thinking public, besides industrial manufacturing is at an all-time low anyway, who needs those narrow minded laborers, too many mouths to feed, hehe, and too much burden on the payroll! Who needs 'em here in the land of the free time. Some other ass-backward country will give us what we need by exploiting its uneducated children anyway.

The Internet has expanded our ability to pacify average Americans better than ever by offering fantastical adventures to every corner of the imagination. Your home office is the window to your world, and the heart of your social life. Such reclusive behavior helps clear the roads and public works from overburden like the lower middle class and others who depend shamelessly on their government. Today you are freer than ever to do what you want, provided you can pay for it!

Remember, the first word in USA is US!
We have arrived, neighbors, we are the privileged elite!

you want prosperity for yourself but not for me
somehow you just can't see we're in this collectively
you think that freedom is a drastic severence
from your past relations, just a quest for new bargains

we're not the same person
we're not the same person
(don't you ever wanna know)
wooohhh

don't need no good advice nor shoddy merchandise
I'm the suspect device, beaten down, unable to strike
we're not the same person
we're not the same person
(don't you ever wanna know)
wooohhh

and the sun comes over us again
we lament, we pine, and we rescind
and we ask for understanding
but aren't we the stingy ones indeed
when it's needed from us in the end?

we watch the days go by, compete and then we die
so few ever ask why but so many just abuse the design

we're not the same person
we're not the same person
(don't you ever wanna know)
wooohhh

we're not the same person
we're not the same person
(don't you ever wanna know)
wooohhh

Oh me oh my
Get out of your 1950's fantasy,
Your face shines with misery transparently
Spew out that sobering
half-assed victim rhetoric
Make 'em all squirm
while they chew on it
It's a secret handshake
and a passing wink of the eye
As the witches bridge club weekly
meets to pen the tail on the sly
But they never ask
"why oh why don't we raise our voices to the sky?"
Instead you're mute
and fawn just waiting to die
Like some kind of hopeless housewife
But you can change while you're alive
and let 'em all know
at least you tried
to kill the demons inside
Oh me oh my
Damn your transcendental paralysis
We can work together
and make sense of this
Don't be so sure
you can chuck it all away
You've got to proceed
no matter how bad you want to stay
It's a natural cause
and a comfort zone
there in your head
And the world turns away
as you tap the snooze button in bed
But nobody can hear a word you said
Your history was never read
Instead you're mute and fawn
just waiting to die
Like some kind of hopeless housewife
But you can change while you're alive
and let 'em all know
at least you tried
to kill the demons inside

our apocalypse 1981
teenage vagrants looking for some fun
a renewed promise of prosperity
a vulgar platform for the world to see
we were...
the hippy killers (4x)

busted refuse from broken homes
pocked flesh and malacious bones
creatures sustained by desire, heart, and soul
nothing to leave and nowhere to go
we were...
the hippy killers (4x)

the hippy killers (8x)

good days during horrible times
overused bodies, neglected minds
shoulder to shoulder we formed as one
the next miserable generation
we were...
the hippy killers (4x)

Every time you shake someone's hand and it feels like your best friend
Could it be that it's only superficiality?
Without regard to well-being, without an inkling of compromise
Handshakes are nothing but a subtle fuck you
Contracts determine the best friendships

This is the way of the modern world
Everyone's vying for patronage
This is the way of the modern world
And something has gotta give

Every time you shake someone's hand and you share neither color nor creed
You gotta overcome the obstacles of history
There is restrained passion, mistrust and bigotry
And these have created the new foundations of society
There's no harmony just class and race

This is the way of the modern world
Everyone's fighting for dominance
This is the way of the modern world
And something has gotta give

Now I believe in unity
And I am willing to compromise
But I'm not gonna lie or sell my soul

Every time you shake someone's hand
It determines where you stand
And if you won't uphold your side then it's better to

Fend for yourself
Fend for yourself
Fend for yourself
And shun the handshake

Fend for yourself
Fend for yourself
Fend for yourself
And shun the handshake

Fend for yourself
Fend for yourself
Fend for yourself
And shun the handshake

Fend for yourself
Fend for yourself
Fend for yourself
And shun the handshake

Fend for yourself
Fend for yourself
Fend for yourself
And shun the handshake

Fend for yourself
Fend for yourself
Fend for yourself
And shun the handshake

Someone's gotta give

k..k..k..killer (2x)

you have got your stranglers and prowlers in soft shoes
furniture makers, carpenters too
bombers and commandos, all with some lost cause
disgruntled workers, immersed in "veritas"

but stealthily, in the land of the free, it's lurking right there
most are unaware of
the biggest killer in American history (4x)
and God shed his grace on thee

business institutions, universities
both are quite the circus when the killer wants his way
I think of Edward Teller and his moribund reprise
then I look to Nevada and I can't believe my eyes
it's time for him to die!

most cannot remember minutia learned in school
it's not there on the blackboard, it's what they don't tell you
we have got a problem, it starts and ends right here
it can be defeated but you've got to face your fear

we'll join and unite and steady our sight
then we'll put it right 'cuz it's time to fight
the biggest killer in American history (4x)
and God shed his grace on thee

The Answer - Bad Religion


Long ago in a dusty village
full of hunger, pain and strife
a man came forth with a vision of truth
and the way to a better life
he was convinced he had the answer
and he compelled people to follow along
but the hunger never vanished
and the man was banished
and the village dried up and died
at a time when wise men peered
through brass tubes toward the sky
the heavens changed in predictable ways
and one man was able to find
that he had found the answer
and he was quick to write his revelation
but as they were scrutinized
in his colleagues eyes
he soon became a mockery
don't tell me about the answer
'cause then another one will come along soon
i don't believe you have the answer
i've got ideas too
but if you've got enought naivete
and you've got conviction
then the answer is perfect for you
an urban spall sits choking on its discharge
overwhelmed by industry
searching for a modern day savior from another place
inclined toward charity
everyone's begging for an answer
without regard to validity
the searching never ends
it goes on and on and on for eternity

yeah, they say there's a place free of trouble and care
and you have to pass a test for to make it there
it has something to do with the road that's straight and narrow
and the only way to go it is by being right and thorough

there's always one more hill to climb
there's always one more hill to climb
bombarded by multiple choices 24/7
navigating a tangled web of logic and passion
guided by subconscious voices, astute and sharpened
tested, tested

often times we may be wonder what we're supposed to do
stand and deliver or see the conflict through
and as we long and proceed to build our castles in the sky
our plans get confounded and determination dies
there's no preparation and no guide
just what you've done before here with your life

bombarded by multiple choices 24/7
navigating a tangled web of logic and passion
guided by subconscious voices, astute and sharpened
tested, tested oh oh oh

acting on will, (the test is the reaction)
opening your heart, (the test is the emotion)
rolling the dice, (the test is the agility)
burning out your mind,(the test is the recovery)
watch-out!

you can play by the rules or bend them to your needs
but the test isn't over til you reach your dark eternal sleep
there are no absolutes, no big wheels in the sky
you don't have to be first just gotta somehow get by

yeah bombarded by multiple choices 24/7
navigating a tangled web of logic and passion
guided by subconscious voices astute and sharpened
tested, tested oh oh oh

Ten In 2010
parched, cracked mouths, empty swollen guts
sun-baked pavement encroaches on us
haves and have-nots together at last
brutally engaged in mortal combat
10 in 2010
what kind of God orchestrates such a thing?
10 in 2010
ten billion people all suffering
10 in 2010
truth is not an issue just hungry mouths to feed
10 in 2010
forget what you want, scrounge the things you need
happy and content it can't happen to you
10 in 2010
fifteen years we'll think of a solution
10 in 2010
it won't just appear in one day
10 in 2010
for ten in twenty-ten we're well on our way
like piercing ear darts, I heard the news today
10 in 2010
10 billion people . . . coming your way.

Television, television, television, television
Television, television, television, television

Oh yeah, I want to bask in your golden light
Submerge in electric waves
I need my connection
To the world outside

The world outside is buzzing like an angry wasp in summer
The candidates are running and the son of God is coming
Crackle mental convolutions tune in to the revolution
Whereby everyone's included so we'll never have to be alone

Television, television, television, television
Television, television, television, television

Oh yeah, I want to bathe in your golden light
Submerge in electric waves
I need my injection
From the world outside

Every atom of my body, blood, and sinew, bone and fiber
I can't distill you from my blood, you're a hungry germ inside of me
You're my lover, my heroine, my conscience, and my voice and
I know now that I have learned to let you in, I will never have to be alone

Television, television, television, television
Television, television, television, television

Oh yeah, I want to bathe in your golden light
Submerge in electric waves

I'd take after my mother but she's from a different generation
I prefer my big brother, he's so gentle and understanding
And I learn what I can by the television light
So that when I'm all alone I know it's gonna be alright

Television, television, television, television
Television, television, television, television

Television, television, television, television
Television, television, television, television

Oh yeah, I want to bask in your golden light
Submerge in electric waves
I need my connection
To the world outside

The world outside is buzzing like an angry wasp in summer
The candidates are running and the son of God is coming
Crackle mental convolutions tune in to the revolution
Whereby everyone's included so we'll never have to be alone

Television, television, television, television
Television, television, television, television

Oh yeah, I want to bathe in your golden light
Submerge in electric waves
I need my injection
From the world outside

Every atom of my body, blood, and sinew, bone and fiber
I can't distill you from my blood, you're a hungry germ inside of me
You're my lover, my heroine, my conscience, and my voice and
I know now that I have learned to let you in, I will never have to be alone

Television, television, television, television
Television, television, television, television

Oh yeah, I want to bathe in your golden light
Submerge in electric waves

I'd take after my mother but she's from a different generation
I prefer my big brother, he's so gentle and understanding
And I learn what I can by the television light
So that when I'm all alone I know it's gonna be alright

Television, television, television, television
Television, television, television, television

Struck A Nerve
there's an old man on a city bus
holding a candy cane,
and it isn't even christmas,
he sees a note in the obituary that
his last friend has died,
there's an infant clinging to
his overweight mother as they go to
shop for cigarettes,
and she spends her last dollar
for a bottle of vodka for tonight
and I guess it struck a nerve,
like I had to squint my eyes,
you can never get out of the line of sight,
like a barren winter day,
or a patch of unburned green,
like a tragic real dream,
i guess it struck a nerve
every day I wander in negative disposition,
as I'm bombarded by superlatives,
realizing very well that I'm not alone,
introverted i look to tomorrow for salvation,
but I'm thinking altruistically,
and a wave of overwhelming doubt
turns me to stone
and I guess it struck a nerve,
sent a murmur through my heart,
we just haven't got time to crack the maze,
like a magic speeding clock,
or a cancer in our sells,
a collision in the dark,
I guess it struck a nerve
I try to close my eyes,
but I cannot ignore the stimuli,
if there's a purpose for us all
it remains a secret to me,
don't ask me to justify my life.

There's an old man on a city bus holding a candy cane and it isn't even Christmas
He sees a note in the obituary that his last friend has died
There's an infant clinging to his overweight mother in the cold as they go to shop for cigarettes
And she spends her last dollar on a bottle of vodka for tonight

And I guess it struck a nerve, like I had to squint my eyes
You can never get out of the line of sight
Like a barren winter day or a patch of unburned green
Like a tragic real dream, I guess it struck a nerve

Everyday I wander in negative disposition as I'm bombarded by superlatives
Realizing very well that I am not alone
Introverted, I look to tomorrow for salvation but I'm thinking altruistically
And a wave of overwhelming doubt turns me to stone

And I guess it struck a nerve, sent a murmur through my heart
We just haven't got time to crack the maze
Like a magic speeding clock or a cancer in our cells
A collision in the dark, I guess it struck a nerve

I try to close my eyes
But I cannot ignore the stimuli
If there's a purpose for us all, it remains a secret to me
Don't ask me to justify my life

And I guess it struck a nerve, like I had to squint my eyes
You can never get out of the line of sight
Like a magic speeding clock or a cancer in our cells
A collision in the dark, I guess it struck a nerve

desolate and without purpose
radiating from so many septic sources
forming the fabric of a wayward people
disappearing as the vestiges of our past

scratched like tartan into virgin soil
a substrate for progress and disarray
a spreading network of broken dreams
searching for a thoroughfare to take us away

just a little tale from the streets of America (say a little prayer)
sparkled promises paved with pathos and hysteria
trenchant, weary native sons
step back
and see the damage done
meander to the horizon (shoot straight to the horizon)
the streets of America

black, tarred concrete
pine for me
lying domant
for you and country
hardened surface
cracked within
catch the sweat
from off the chin

of men and women
senior and child
who look to you
and your sterile miles
and in their stares
is bald dismay
for what you promised
led them astray

hard-cracked, daunting, lifeless veins
false hope corridors to greener pastures is all that remains

A febrile shocking violent smack
And the children are hoping for a heart attack
Tonight the windows are watching
The streets all conspire and the lamppost can't stop crying

If I could fly high above the world
Would I see a bunch of living dots spell the word stupidity?
Or would I see hungry lover homicides, loving brother suicides
And olly olly oxenfrees who pick a side and hide?

The world is scratching at my door
My morning paper's got the scores
The human interest stories
And the obituary

Cockroach naps and rattling traps
How many devils can you fit upon a match head?
Caringosity killed the Kerouac cat
Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction

In my alley around the corner there's a wino with feathered shoulders
And a spirit giving head for crack and he'll never want it back
There's a little kid and his family eating crackers like thanksgiving
And a pack of wild desperados scornful of living

The world is scratching at my door
My morning paper has the scores
The human interest stories
And the obituary

Cradle for a cat, Wolfe looks back
How many angels can you fit upon a match?
I want to know why Hemingway cracked
Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction

Life is the crummiest book I ever read
There isn't a hook
Just a lot of cheap shots, pictures to shock
And characters an amateur would never dream up

Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction

A febrile shocking violent smack
And the children are hoping for a heart attack
Tonight the windows are watching
The streets all conspire and the lamppost can't stop crying

If I could fly high above the world
Would I see a bunch of living dots spell the word stupidity?
Or would I see hungry lover homicides, loving brother suicides
And olly olly oxenfrees who pick a side and hide?

The world is scratching at my door
My morning paper's got the scores
The human interest stories
And the obituary

Cockroach naps and rattling traps
How many devils can you fit upon a match head?
Caringosity killed the Kerouac cat
Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction

In my alley around the corner there's a wino with feathered shoulders
And a spirit giving head for crack and he'll never want it back
There's a little kid and his family eating crackers like thanksgiving
And a pack of wild desperados scornful of living

The world is scratching at my door
My morning paper has the scores
The human interest stories
And the obituary

Cradle for a cat, Wolfe looks back
How many angels can you fit upon a match?
I want to know why Hemingway cracked
Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction

Life is the crummiest book I ever read
There isn't a hook
Just a lot of cheap shots, pictures to shock
And characters an amateur would never dream up

Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction

a mutinous enemy carved a nascent country
sweat, blood and valor forms the grit of our history
bequeathed to everyone: chance and free expression
substance was restrained and the spirit was broken

I feel a strange denial rhythmic as change
constant as time
lonely insistent whispers
somber as a wave bye bye

searching for solution, without constitution
blackcoats by our sides promising salvation
advocating dogma as tickets to hereafter
mortals in their prime with their desperate hands in the air

daunting complex and burning
rhythmic as change
constant as time
conflicts, craving approval
weighted as a murder trial
oh, I feel a strange denial

correct is consensus
everything else, nonsense
forward is the hope
forget recompense
peace and tranquility is only for the wealthy
dearth for the masses and inequality

I feel a strange denial
rhythmic as change
constant as time
lonely insistent whispers
dissipating in the night
like a lone forgotten light

and no one is helping me
it's a strange denial

a grizzly scene on my electron beam
told a story about human rights,
so all of kings horses
and all of kings men had a riot
for two days and nights
well, the city exploded
but the gates wouldn't open
so the company asked him to quit
now everybody's equal
just don't measure it
well hansson did it to hester
and mark david did it to john
and maybe jack did it to marilyn
but he did it to south vietnam
for beauty and glory
for money, love and country
everybody's doing it,
don't do that to me
I don't know what stopped
Jesus Christ from turning
every hungry stone into bread
and I don't remember hearing how Moses
reacted when the innocent first born sons lay dead
well I guess God was a lot more demonstrative back when
he flamboyantly parted the sea,
now everybody's praying,
don't pray on me.

"Hi..Welcome to Stealth"

This is a strong an confound
This weekend i will spend over 800 million dollers on drugs
first, i will continue pushing the narcotics for all low income
people not covered and soon after that we can get rid of each
and every one of them and im doin what i think is right an i certainly
deserve it
gnight

Spirit Shine
shed a tear for the criminal, give him something to believe
light a fire for the miserable, give the darkness some meaning
closed wounds harbor pestilence, when you lick them from within
charity has a redolence chastity cannot rescind
spirit shine, it's a sign
of a troubled mind (tortured mind)
spirit shine all the time
can render you blind
you can take it all to heart or throw it all away
you can give until you're dry and sucked of all your gleam
you can fake another cry and compromise your dream
cling tight to the parable - let it dominate your life
create a God who's infallible - give your leader some respite
clouds wounds harbor pestilence - when you lick them from within
rosy smiles lose their radience - when you take it on the chin.

we all know politicians only go
just halfway there
just halfway there
the innocence of youth needs protection not abuse
but no one seems to care
yet no one seems to care

and you sit there and watch the world go around
from your pseudo-benevolent vantage point
while we who've been left to pick up after you
try our best to make some sense for those who come next

now what have you done to foster the truth
besides just hide the lies?
besides just hide the lies?
a selfish campaign never justifies the gain
but the means are verified
yeah the means are verified

and you sit there and insist you are right!
from your popular psychological podium
while those who rely and depend on you
they wilt because you don't accept we need each other

while sowing the seeds of Utopia
you invoked a convenient amnesia
you forgot how to care, you forgot how to provide
you forgot how to work toward a meaningful life

So you're feeling unimportant
'Cause you've got nothing to say
And your life is just a ramble
No one understands you anyway

Well, I've got a piece of news, son
That might make you change your mind
Your life is historically meaningful
And spans a significant time

Slumber will come soon
And you are helping put it to sleep
Side by side we do our share, faithfully assuring
That slumber will come soon

Well, now do you feel a little better?
Lift up your head and walk away
Knowing we're all in this together
For such a short time anyway

There is just no time to parade around sulking
I would rather laugh than cry
The rich, the poor, the strong, the weak, we share this place together
And we pitch in to help it die, we pitch in to help it die

I'm not too good at giving morals
And I don't fear the consequence
If life makes you scared and bitter
At least it's not for very long

Slumber will come soon
And you are helping put it to sleep
Side by side we do our share, faithfully assuring
That slumber will come soon

Slumber will come soon
Slumber will come soon
Slumber will come soon

So you're feeling unimportant
'Cause you've got nothing to say
And your life is just a ramble
No one understands you anyway

Well, I've got a piece of news, son
That might make you change your mind
Your life is historically meaningful
And spans a significant time

Slumber will come soon
And you are helping put it to sleep
Side by side we do our share, faithfully assuring
That slumber will come soon

Well, now do you feel a little better?
Lift up your head and walk away
Knowing we're all in this together
For such a short time anyway

There is just no time to parade around sulking
I would rather laugh than cry
The rich, the poor, the strong, the weak, we share this place together
And we pitch in to help it die, we pitch in to help it die

I'm not too good at giving morals
And I don't fear the consequence
If life makes you scared and bitter
At least it's not for very long

Slumber will come soon
And you are helping put it to sleep
Side by side we do our share, faithfully assuring
That slumber will come soon

Slumber will come soon
Slumber will come soon
Slumber will come soon

Skyscraper
come let us make bricks
and burn them hard,
we'll build a city with a tower for the world
and climb so we can reach
anything we may propose,
anything at all
build me up, tear me down
like a skyscraper,
build me up, then tear down
these joining walls
so they can't climb at all
I know why tore it down that day,
you thought, if you got caught
we'd all go away,
like a spoiled little baby
who can't come out to play,
you had your revenge
build me up, tear me down
like a skyscraper,
build me up, then tear down
these joining walls
so they can't climb at all.

Come let us make bricks and burn them hard
We'll build a city with a tower for the world
And climb so we can reach anything we may propose
Anything at all

Build me up, tear me down
Like a skyscraper
Build me up, then tear down these joining walls
So they can't climb at all

I know why you tore it down that day
You thought that if you got caught we'd all go away
Like a spoiled little baby who can't come out and play
You had your revenge

Build me up, tear me down
Like a skyscraper
Build me up, then tear down these joining walls
So they can't climb at all

Well madness reigned and paradise drowned
When Babel's walls came crashing down
Now the echoes roar, for story read that was hardly understood
And never any good

Build me up, tear me down
Like a skyscraper
Build me up, then tear down these joining walls
So they can't climb at all

here inside this quiet room there's direction
outside in the sultry noon-time reflection
a million people scurry
they're looking for advice
none willing to lend charity, just exercise their

shades of truth and partisan conventions
shades of truth between disparate lines
shades of truth interpret my intentions
you don't know I'm alright
you don't know I'm alright

who authored the blueprints and made us captains?
someone proclaimed creation, people listened
while children by the millions are thrown into this zoo
the so-called gift of clarity! oh what was God up to?

shades of truth and lenient conventions
shades of truth between disparate lines
shades of truth interpret my intentions
you don't know I'm alright
you don't know I'm alright
yeah!

so many walk in parallel and pull their blinders tight
so few offer apology and accept others' rights
and nothing absolutely can be cherished in the end
but can't we all accept that it will all happen again?

shades of truth just partisan conventions
shades of truth between disparate lines
shades of truth interpret my intentions
you don't know I'm alright
you don't know I'm alright

just shades of truth and partisan conventions
shades of truth between disparate lines
shades of truth interpret my intentions
you don't know I'm alright
you don't know I'm alright

There's a watch in my pocket
And its hands are broken
The face is blank
But the gears are turning

Confusion
Is a fundamental state of mind
It doesn't really matter what I'm figuring out
I'm guaranteed to wind up in a state of doubt

And sanity is a full time job
In a world that is always changing
And sanity is a state of mind
That you believe in sanity

There's a shadow on the wall
Where the paint is peeling
My body's moving forward
But my mind is reeling

Depression
Is a fundamental state of day
It doesn't really matter how my day has turned out
I always end up living in this world of doubt

And sanity is a full time job
In a world that is always changing
And sanity will make you strong
If you believe in sanity

And sanity is a full time job
In a world that is always changing
And sanity is a state of mind
That you believe in sanity

Recipe For Hate
can't you feel it, can't you see it
the promise of prosperity,
it's overwhelming you and me
it afflicts us like a disease,
ubiquitous compelling too
we cling to you like crazy glue,
and inject such a potent seed
it's best for all humanity,
the spread of culture,
the sword of progress,
the vector of suffrage a warm and
septic breeze,
the pomp and elation,
the duty and vocation,
the blood of the hybrid
it's just a recipe
re-living our ancestry
the frightful lack of harmony,
our fore-fathers who led the way,
their victims are still here today,
now it's time to erase the story
of our bogus fate,
our history as it's portrayed
it's just a recipe for hate.

Can't you feel it, can't you see
The promise of prosperity?
It's overwhelming you and me
It afflicts us like a disease

Ubiquitous, compelling too
We cling to you like crazy glue
And inject such a potent seed
It's best for all humanity

The spread of culture, the sword of progress
The vector of suffrage, a warm and septic breeze
The pomp and elation, the duty and vocation
The blood of the hybrid, it's just a recipe

Reliving our ancestry
The frightful lack of harmony
Our forefathers who led the way
Their victims are still here today

Now it's time to erase
The story of our bogus fate
Our history as it's portrayed
Is just a recipe for hate

A recipe for hate

The spread of culture, the sword of progress
The vector of suffrage, a warm and septic breeze
The pomp and elation, the duty and vocation
The blood of the hybrid, it's just a recipe

Can't you feel it, can't you see
The promise of prosperity?
It's overwhelming you and me
It afflicts us like a disease

Ubiquitous, compelling too
We cling to you like crazy glue
And inject such a potent seed
It's best for all humanity

The spread of culture, the sword of progress
The vector of suffrage, a warm and septic breeze
The pomp and elation, the duty and vocation
The blood of the hybrid, it's just a recipe

Reliving our ancestry
The frightful lack of harmony
Our forefathers who led the way
Their victims are still here today

Now it's time to erase
The story of our bogus fate
Our history as it's portrayed
Is just a recipe for hate

A recipe for hate

The spread of culture, the sword of progress
The vector of suffrage, a warm and septic breeze
The pomp and elation, the duty and vocation
The blood of the hybrid, it's just a recipe

fa fa fafa fa fa fafa raise your voice! (4x)

don't be played like someone else's board game
don't be classed out like some desperate redoubt
don't be misled you've got a lot on your head
and nobody's gonna pay attention when you are dead

so...
fa fa fafa fa fa fafa raise your voice! (4x)

it's the primary rule, you gotta wanna be fooled
it's our daunted restraint that keeps us silent in shame
it's our nature to be adversarial and free
our evolution didn't hinge on passivity

so...
fa fa fafa fa fa fafa raise your voice! (10x)

Punk Rock Song
have you been to the desert?
have you walked with the dead?
there's a hundred thousand children being killed for their bread
and the figures don't lie they speak of human disease
but we do what we want and we think what we please
have you lived the experience?
have you witnessed the plague?
people making babies sometimes just to escape
in this land of competition the compassion is gone
yet we ignore the needy and we keep pushing on
we keep pushing on
this is just a punk rock song
written for the people who can see something's wrong
like ants in a colony we do our share
but there's so many other fuckin' insects out there
and this is just a punk rock song
(like workers in a company we do our share
but there's so many other fuckin' robots out there)
have you visited the quagmire?
have you swam in the shit?
the party conventions and the real politik
the faces always different, the rhetoric the same
but we swallow it, and we see nothing change
nothing has changed . . .
10 million dollars on a losing campaign
20 million starving and writhing in pain
big strong people unwilling to give
small in vision and perspective
one in five kids below the poverty line
one population runnin' out of time.

Have you been to the desert, have you walked with the dead?
There's a hundred thousand children being killed for their bread
And the figures don't lie, they speak of human disease
But we do what we want and we think what we please

Have you lived the experience, have you witnessed the plague?
People making babies sometimes just to escape
In this land of competition the compassion is gone
Yet we ignore the needy and we keep pushing on

This is just a punk rock song
Written for the people who can see something's wrong
Like ants in a colony we do our share, but there's so many other fucking insects out there
And this is just a punk rock song

Have you visited the quagmire, have you swam in the shit?
The party convention and the real politic
The face is always different, the rhetoric the same
But we swallow it all and we see nothing change, nothing has changed

This is just a punk rock song
Written for the people who can see something's wrong
Like workers in a factory we do our share, but there's so many other fucking robots out there
And this is just a punk rock song

Ten million dollars on a losing campaign
Twenty million starving and writhing in pain
Big strong people unwilling to give
Small in vision and perspective

One in five kids below the poverty line
One population running out of time
Running out of time

This is just a punk rock song
Written for the people who can see something's wrong
Like ants in a colony we do our share, but there's so many other fucking insects out there
And this is just a punk rock song

The figures don't lie, they speak of human disease
But we do what we want and we think what we please
One in five kids below the poverty line
One population running out of time

This is just a punk rock song
This is just a punk rock song
This is just a punk rock song

Portrait Of Authority
nothing more, nothing less,
in icon on the wall decoration and duress,
which many strive to be,
it's the marble statue standing over me,
and nobody has the will to tear it down,
it determines wrong and right,
but to me it's just a stereotype
and it makes us lose our sight
the portrait of authority,
you tell me that's what I'm supposed to be
(it embodies what he cannot be)
another time, another man,
an oppressive intrusion
and a plague across his land,
and it haunts him every day,
it tells him he has no chance
his hopes just fades away,
and he lives his life prepared to tear it down,
but he can't muster the support,
and to him it's just a stereotype
of his life-long fight.

Nothing more, nothing less
An icon on the wall, decoration and duress
That which many strive to be
It's the marble statue staring over me

And nobody has the will to tear it down
It determines wrong and right
But to me it's just a stereotype
And it makes us lose our sight

The portrait of authority
You tell me that's what I'm supposed to be

Another time, another man
An oppressive intrusion, a plague across his land
And it haunts him every day
It tells him that he has no chance, his hopes just fade away

And he lives his life prepared to tear it down
But he can't muster the support
And to him it's just a stereotype
Of his life long fight

The portrait of authority
It embodies what he cannot be

Nothing more, nothing less
An icon on the wall, decoration and duress
That which many strive to be
It's the marble statue staring over me

And nobody has the will to tear it down
It determines wrong and right
But to me it's just a stereotype
And it makes us lose our sight

The portrait of authority
You tell me that's what I'm supposed to be

Another time, another man
An oppressive intrusion, a plague across his land
And it haunts him every day
It tells him that he has no chance, his hopes just fade away

And he lives his life prepared to tear it down
But he can't muster the support
And to him it's just a stereotype
Of his life long fight

The portrait of authority
It embodies what he cannot be

There's a boy in crimson rags with a grimace and a spoon
And a little sullen girl face up, staring at the moon
And there's no one around to hear their lonesome cries
Then they pass away alone into the night

Why do we pity the dead?
Are you churned by emotion from the voices in your head?
Look at all the living and you'll ask yourself why
Oh why do we pity the dead?

Well, you've seen the disease, suffering and decay
And you whisper to yourself blissfully, it's okay
And you still refuse the possibility
That the dead are better off than we

Why do we pity the dead?
Are you scared by the logic that swells up in your head?
Look at all the living and you'll ask yourself why
Oh why do we pity the dead, pity the dead?

Tell me what you see
Tell me what you know
Is there anyone who lives a painless life?
If there is, show me so

The destitute and famished
Demonic and the banished
Dejected and the ostracized
The brainwashed and the paralyzed

The conquered and objectified
The few who see the other side
Tell me what you see
It's a mortal, wretched cacophony

In the end you may find there's no guiding subtle light
No ancestors or friends, no judge of wrong or right
Just eternal silence and dormancy
And a final everlasting peace

Why do we pity the dead?
Are you churned by emotion from the voices in your head?
Look at all the living and you'll ask yourself why
Oh why do we pity the dead?

Why do we pity the dead?
Why do we pity the dead?

Pity The Dead
there's a boy in crimson rags with a grimace and a spoon, and a little sullen
girl face-up staring at the moon
and there's no one around to hear their lonesome cries
then they pass away alone into the night
why do we pity the dead?
are you churned by emotion from voices in your head?
(are you scared of the logic that swirls within your head)
look at all the living and you'll ask yourself why
oh why do we
pity the dead?
pity the dead!
well, you've seen the disease, suffering and decay,
and you whisper to yourself blissfully "it's okay"
and you still refuse the possibility
that the dead are better off than we
tell me what you see, tell me what you know
is there anyone who lives a painless life?
if there is show me so
the destitute and famished, demonic and the
banished, dejected and the ostracized, the
brainwashed and the paralyzed, the conquered
and objectified, the few who see the other side
tell me what you see! It's a mortal wretched cacophony
in the end you may find there's no guiding subtle light,
no ancestors or friends, no judge of wrong or right
just eternal silence and dormancy
and a final everlasting peace.

The final page is written in the books of history,
As man unleashed his deadly bombs and sent troops overseas
To fight a war which can't be won and kills the human race,
A show of greed and ignorance, man's quest for dominance.

They say when a mistake is made, a lesson can be learned.


But this time, there's no turning back, the hate engulfs the world.
A million lives are lost each day, a city slowly burns,
A mother holds her dying child, but no one is concerned!

Parallel
sleeping on a time bomb, staring into space
there's an ocean of unpleasantries we are not prepared to face
sitting on the fence post to watch the storm roll in
and terrified of the damage it will bring when it begins
it will begin
splintered dreams of unity (our lives are parallel)
so far from reality (our lives are parallel)
independent trajectories (our lives are parallel)
separate terms of equality (our lives are parallel)
our lives are parallel
is there no redemption? no common good?
is there nothing we can do for ourselves? or only what we should?
comes the hard admission of what we don't provide
goes the insistence on the ways and means that so divide
they so divide
side by side suffering loneliness (our lives are parallel)
phony collective progress (our lives are parallel)
accepting that it's all such a mess (our lives are parallel)
gesturing without hope of redress (our lives are parallel)
our lives are parallel
forging little plays of deception and pain
as we watch our foundation crumble away
staggering like birds against a hurricane
and trying all the while to stay out of each other's way
broken dreams of unity (our lives are parallel)
independant trajectories (our lives are parallel)
screaming out for understanding (our lives are parallel)
turning inward and suffering (our lives are parallel).

It's an S.O.S. sent out telepathically
Signs of our distress don't allow complacency
We need restoration now of our integrity
And a drastic bold reminder of our morality

The rectifying troop is here
The ones we've needed all these years
To stop the heinous wrongdoings
And verify our moral benevolence as a people

Operation, Operation Rescue
They're here to right our fall, they've heard our troubled call
Operation, Operation Rescue
You wonder where they come from but I just wonder why they're here at all

Life ever-after is what they're in business for
See them brandish the key to our kingdom's door
It's pervasive, a part of, part of you and me
But not overwhelming as they wish it to be

If no one believed in fairy tales
There's nothing they could do but fail
Yet everywhere we look
Someone is trying to reassure our moral benevolence as a people

Operation, Operation Rescue
They're here to right our fall, they've heard someone's troubled call
Operation, Operation Rescue
You wonder where they come from but I just wonder what compels them all

Operation, Operation Rescue
Operation, Operation Rescue
You may wonder where they come from
But I just wonder what compels them all

Transfixated on the big blue screen
It's your window to the outside, a melancholy dream
A medium upon which you build reality
This episodic currency that everybody needs

Somebody's delivery lulls you to sleep
The man behind the weather map, the editor in chief
They control two worlds, power and disease
And you cannot suppress your curiosity

But see it's only entertainment
Superficial urgency, posterboard mentality
Only entertainment, tightly constrained, the buzz that remains
Is the story of how we run our lives

Many are the people poor and suffering
From the lack of coverage from the transmission beam
And if it ever gets here, you'll be offended too
'Cause you cannot distinguish chicanery from truth

See it's only entertainment
A superficial episode as life continues to unfold
Only entertainment, controlled and copied, they've planted the seed
That sprouts into your picture of the world

Can't someone protect me?
From this electron beam
Hey you, Mr. FCC
Have you no advice for me?

Turn away, turn away
Turn away, turn away

I heard them say that the meek shall reign on earth,
Phantasmal myriads of sane bucolic birth,
I've seen the rapture in a starving baby's eyes,
Inchoate beatitude,
The Lord of the flies,
So what does it mean
When your mind starts to stray?
Kaleidoscopic images of love on the way,
Brother you'd better get down on your knees and pay,
1000 more fools are being born
Every fucking day,
They try to tell me that the lamb is on the way,
With microwave transmissions
They bombard us every day,
The masses are obsequious,
Contented in their sleep,
The vortex of their minds ensconced within
The murky deep.

Hey mister, don't point at me
You shout rhetoric nonsense like a Pavlovian model responding to questions
Hey teacher, arrogance is bliss
You spend your time turning water into life as if you were God's foreman

Is it any wonder things seem so awry?
We swim in a sea of confusion
And don't have to think to survive
So nobody listens

Hey recluse, don't shout at me
You proclaim yourself expert by extensions of the methods detailed in your magazines
Hey downer, don't prey on me
We've all got bum raps that torment us day to day, that we hoist on our own shoulders

Is it any wonder people pass you by?
Your plea for understanding
Is heard as desperate lies
So nobody listens

I can't help you
I can't help you
I can't help you
I can't help you now

Is it any wonder things are so inane?
So many quests for compassion
Are just for someone's personal gain
So nobody listens

Nobody listens to you

history doesn't make something right
consensus is not a fact-based exercise
you're tied and bound to this self-indulgent enterprise
we call America

a brush with a star, a token of love
a name in the sand, enough is enough
a diet of air, a face on the net
a fish in your palm, your television set

once you convince yourself
the universe falls into place
you've got your ideas
and your posse of friends
you all make up rules
and the fun never ends

but still there's a problem, leaves you gasping for air
you look for some meaning, blank smiles are all that's there
and still water stales a soft summer breeze
you cling to your hopes while you drop to your knees
there's no substance!(2x)

once you convince yourself
the universe falls into place
you've got your ideas
and your posse of friends
you all make up rules
and the fun never ends

but still there's a problem, leaves you gasping for air
you look for some meaning, blank smiles are all that's there
and still water stales a soft summer breeze
you cling to your hopes while you drop to your knees

there's no substance!(2x)

A sullen figure walks along a dusty road
His life was holy and he couldn't bear the load
He left his people and a simple life behind
He raised his torso and he looked into the sky

Shouting his questions
Looking for direction
What do I do now?

Now a confused schoolgirl stares at the TV tray
The stresses of maturing compound every day
She glances up to see her favorite video
And gets ideas from Madonna's nasty clothes

In need of affection
She craves the direction
Her heroes offer her

Everyone is looking for something
And they all assume somebody else knows what it is
No one can live with the decisions of their own
It seems, so they look to someone else

To tell 'em what to be
Tell 'em what to wear, tell 'em what to say
Tell 'em how to act and think, compel others compulsively
Until the world is all like them

A righteous student came and asked me to reflect
He judged my lifestyle was politically incorrect
I don't believe in self-important folks who preach
No Bad Religion song can make your life complete

Prepare for rejection
You'll get no direction from me
You'll get no direction from me

A sullen figure walks along a dusty road
His life was holy and he couldn't bear the load
He left his people and a simple life behind
He raised his torso and he looked into the sky

Shouting his questions
Looking for direction
What do I do now?

Now a confused schoolgirl stares at the TV tray
The stresses of maturing compound every day
She glances up to see her favorite video
And gets ideas from Madonna's nasty clothes

In need of affection
She craves the direction
Her heroes offer her

Everyone is looking for something
And they all assume somebody else knows what it is
No one can live with the decisions of their own
It seems, so they look to someone else

To tell 'em what to be
Tell 'em what to wear, tell 'em what to say
Tell 'em how to act and think, compel others compulsively
Until the world is all like them

A righteous student came and asked me to reflect
He judged my lifestyle was politically incorrect
I don't believe in self-important folks who preach
No Bad Religion song can make your life complete

Prepare for rejection
You'll get no direction from me
You'll get no direction from me

Culture was the seed of proliferation but it's gotten melded
Into an inharmonic whole, to an inharmonic whole
Consciousness has plagued us and we cannot shake it
Though we think we're in control, though we think we're in control

Questions that besiege us in life
Are testament of our helplessness
There's no vestige of a beginning, no prospect of an end
When we all disintegrate it will all happen again

Time is so rock solid in the minds of the hordes but they can't
Explain why it should slip away, explain why it should slip away
History and future are the comforts of our curiosity but here we are
Rooted in the present day, rooted in the present day

Questions that besiege us in life
Are testament of our helplessness
There's no vestige of a beginning, no prospect of an end
When we all disintegrate it will all happen again

If you came to conquer, you'll be king for a day
But you too will deteriorate and quickly fade away
And believe these words you hear
When you think your path is clear

We have no control, we have no control
We have no control, we do not understand
You have no control, you are not in command
You have no control, we have no control

No control
No control
You have no control

Do you know the cost of future misery?
Have you lost your sense of sustainability?
We are just a step away
From realizing what we strive to be
But we've got to break out
From this insulated, blind and lame senility
Wake up the new america wo-oh!
Transcend the mass hysteria wo-oh!
Change is the thing you're wary of wo-oh!
We need a new america wo-oh!
Laurels, human triumph
Bestowments from the past
Victories don't mean a thing
If they don't last
We are just marching toward extinction
With blinders on our eyes
Jeopardizing everything
We've learned and come to realize
You call that wise?
Open your eyes america wo-oh!
See through the lies they tell to us wo-oh!
Confront the fears that worry us wo-oh!
We need a new america wo-oh!
We don't have to be afraid to re-invent
We've got to start to build
Progress and implement
For when we take our fill
And never pay the price
We only build ourselves
A fleeting, false paradise
You can live in staunch denial
And mark me as your enemy
But I'm just a voice among the throng
Who want a brighter destiny
They say with me
We are the new america wo-oh!
This is the new america? Wo-oh

My Poor Friend Me
I know a man who doesn't have many friends,
I know a place where he lives where trouble never ends,
I know it's hard for him to read 'tween the lines,
and his day are getting so much shorter,
he simply turns away instead of bearing down,
his ship is crumbling,
his crew is one of the clowns,
he doesn't care as long as he can wear the crown,
I know this man all too well,
it's my poor friend me,
a portrayal of the great dichotomy
(a reminder of a tragic history),
it's my poor friend me
and I'm running out of steam
I know there are people who are cynical and vane,
they point their finger cuz they can't accept the blame,
they live their lives under a blanket of shame and their
progeny crawl from underneath it,
lately I've come to see the solution,
and it begins with me,
but I'm so fallibly human,
I've picked the lot.

I know a man who doesn't have many friends
I know a place he lives where trouble never ends
I know it's hard for him to read between the lines
And his days are getting so much shorter

He simply turns away and dons a bitter frown
His world is crumbling, his ship is waited down
He doesn't care as long as he can wear the crown
I know this man all too well

It's my poor friend me
A portrayal of the great dichotomy
It's my poor friend me
And I'm running out of steam

I know there are people who are cynical and vain
They point their finger 'cause they can't accept the blame
They live their lives under a blanket of shame
And their progeny crawl from underneath it

Lately I've come to see the solution
And it begins with me
But I'm so fallibly human
I'll pick the lock but will not turn the key

All people running scared, we live, breathe, and die
All too aware that time is slipping on by
We have solutions but don't even try
And I feel I know just who to blame

It's my poor friend me
A reminder of a tragic history
It's my poor friend me
And I'm running out of steam

listen to the warnings
verify all your fears
there's a world outside
that's ready to blow
and we're all to blame
when it finally explodes
you gotta listen up
gotta listen to what
they're telling you
gotta listen up and think
about what they're saying to you
they're the modern day catastrophists
they've got practical solutions
(know all the right equations)
they're the self-appointed
righteous pragmatists
and they know 50 ways
to save the world
what makes you think
you can cure our disease?
maybe its just our biology
maybe its time to make room
for another species
this is the 21st Century

Take those potatoes out of your ears
Listen to the warnings, verify all your fears
There's a world outside that's ready to blow
And we're all to blame when it finally explodes

You gotta listen up
Gotta listen to what they're saying to you
Gotta listen up
And think about what they're telling you

Temperature is rising but the odorous way
Will bury us alive in what we throw away
If we don't reuse most of our debris
Our kids can't go with a carbon copy

You gotta listen up
Gotta listen to what I'm telling you
Gotta listen up
And think about what I'm saying to you

They're the modern day catastrophists
They've got practical solutions
They're the self-appointed righteous pragmatists
And they know fifty ways to save the world

What makes you think you can cure our disease?
Maybe it's just our biology
Maybe it's time to make room for another species
This is the 21st century

You gotta listen up
Gotta think about what they're saying to you
Gotta listen up
And think about what they're telling you

They're the modern day catastrophists
They've know all the right equations
They're the self-appointed righteous pragmatists
And you too can be one of the few to save the world

But you gotta listen up
Gotta think about what they're telling you
Gotta listen up
And do exactly what they tell you to

They're the modern day catastrophists
Modern day catastrophists
Modern day catastrophists
Modern day catastrophists

look around the country, an abundance you'll find
of mediocre minds
sift through the fodder as sane justice declines
because of mediocre minds
shrouded under cover, the most flamboyant guise
hides a mediocre mind
you got yours but you can never bend mine
with your mediocre minds

when they cry foul you had better watch out
because you never know which aptitude they're griping about
don't act too smart for their stenoscopic ways
you'll be discarded away

reason's not to be what the privileged define
with their mediocre minds
so many sighted people are so helplessly blind
from their mediocre minds

if you want attention then you'll be asked to bend
but the surest insurrection is enlightenment
then you can live outside inharmoniously
without friends and enemy

they wanna keep me locked away
cuz I've an overactive brain

leaders, presidents and the nightly news guys
cater to mediocre minds
reason's not to be what the privileged define
with their mediocre minds
you got yours but you can never bend mine
with your mediocre minds
the only natural thing that I really despise
are the mediocre minds
mediocre minds! (2x)

If I'm a monster, I am a willing one
This roller coaster ride is an enticing one
On the tip of a continuum flowing wavelike through disorder
Carrying me like a vessel through water

And everything you see leaves a mark on your soul
Everything you feel leaves a mark on your soul
Everything you touch leaves a mark on your soul
Everything you make leaves a mark on your soul

If I can touch it, I can destroy it
If it's imaginable to some degree I can become it
Like a hungry turning cortex that just flickers to existence
Consuming bits and pieces 'til I'm finally extinguished

And everyone you see leaves a mark on your soul
Everyone you bear leaves a mark on your soul
Everyone you touch leaves a mark on your soul
Everyone you love leaves a mark on your soul

And everything you take leaves a mark on your soul
Everything you give leaves a mark on your soul
And all the fear and loneliness that's impossible to control
And every tear you cry leaves a mark on your soul

If I'm a monster, I am a willing one
This roller coaster ride is an enticing one
On the tip of a continuum flowing wavelike through disorder
Carrying me like a vessel through water

And everything you see leaves a mark on your soul
Everything you feel leaves a mark on your soul
Everything you touch leaves a mark on your soul
Everything you make leaves a mark on your soul

If I can touch it, I can destroy it
If it's imaginable to some degree I can become it
Like a hungry turning cortex that just flickers to existence
Consuming bits and pieces 'til I'm finally extinguished

And everyone you see leaves a mark on your soul
Everyone you bear leaves a mark on your soul
Everyone you touch leaves a mark on your soul
Everyone you love leaves a mark on your soul

And everything you take leaves a mark on your soul
Everything you give leaves a mark on your soul
And all the fear and loneliness that's impossible to control
And every tear you cry leaves a mark on your soul

Man With a Mission
rescue me when I get to deep,
talk to me there's nothing to tell,
everyone, is a hypocrite, look to me,
I'll save your soul,
now somebody out there must be reading my mail,
cuz everybody knows,
I'm a man with a mission,
coming to your town today,
I can damn you to fiery prodititon,
cuz I'm a man with a mission,
follow me, when you give up,
work for me, it'll serve you well,
everyone's a hypocrite,
come to me, I'll save your soul
now somebody out there must be tapping my phone,
'cuz everybody knows,
I'm a man with a mission,
I'm gonna fly you away,
high above the noise and competition,
yeah, I'm a man with a mission,
I'm a man with a mission,
passing through your town today,
I condemn you to fiery prodition,
yeah, I'm a man with a mission.

Rescue me when I get too deep
Talk to me, there's nothing to tell
Everyone is a hypocrite
Look to me, I'll save your soul

Now somebody out there must be reading my mail
'Cause everybody knows

Follow me when you give up
Work for me, it'll serve you well
Everyone is a hypocrite
Come to me, I'll save your soul

Now somebody out there must be tapping my phone
'Cause everybody knows

I'm a man with a mission
I'm gonna fly you away
High above the noise and competition
I'm a man with a mission

Somebody out there must be reading my mail
'Cause everybody knows

I'm a man with a mission
Passing through your town today
I'll condemn you to fiery perdition
I'm a man with a mission

suddenly, it came to me
a potent dosage of reality
i saw myself in the broad daylight
and it made me think
about life
im not the kinda guy
who nods his head
with closed eyes
i scoff at labels
i defy censuses
and despise group mentality
all along i through
that this was only human
but i know now that
i'm in the minority
i'm lookin' in
now i think in relation to
my fellow man
and what strives to do we fail to see
theres no compromise
our evolution
is our demise
one day you may find
that you are also one of me
a micrososm
of the human race
observing those around us
desiring to belong
behing the guise of salvation
we suffer along the way
we're lookin' in

Suddenly it came to me
A potent dosage of reality
I saw myself in the broad daylight
And it made me think about life

I am not the kind of guy
Who nods his head with closed eyes
I scoff at labels, defy censuses
And despise group mentality

All along I thought that this was only human
But I know now that I'm in the minority
I'm lookin' in, lookin' in
Lookin' in, I'm lookin' in

Now I think in relation to
My fellow man and what he strives to do
We fail to see there's no compromise
Our evolution is our demise

One day you mind you're also one of me
A complex microcosm of the human race
Observing those around us, desiring to belong
Behind the guise of salvation we suffer all along the way

We're lookin' in, lookin' in
Lookin' in, we're lookin' in
Lookin' in, lookin' in
Lookin' in, we're lookin' in

Let your mind wander
Look beyond the shadows
Focus on the skyline,
Read the silhouettes
Your deepest desires
are a picture of tomorrow
All your darkest fears
are just a vestige of regret
And it's wo-oh oh oh
It seems like such a long way to go
As obstacles get bigger,
prevailing winds blow stronger
and the fire continues to grow
Don't let shallow water limit your perception
Heed the new horizon
Muster to it fast
The moments of your yesterdays
are in the wake behind you
You can't assess the future
if you're living in the past
Keep it stoked!
If you are committed
to a life of understanding
then there's no agenda
for vengeance in your life
Sharpen all your senses,
face the opposition
You can overcome
with fortitude and mental might
And it's wo-oh oh oh
It seems like such a long way to go
As obstacles get bigger,
prevailing winds blow stronger
and the fire continues to grow
in your soul
So be bold, let it grow
Don't let it die
Let it burn!

There are desperate times upon us, there are codes of white and black
Political resentment and people start to crack
There's hate and opposition, there's fumbling dialog
Yet you sit there and judge me and you think it makes a difference

If you think I'm all alone you are foolishly wrong
There's an entire army who blindly follow along
And you happen to be one of them, believe it or not
Even though you try not to be, we are of the same plague

The other ways we're taught to fear
Don't even scratch the surface of the problem here
But I'm not blind and I'm not scared
So many crucial factors exist out there
And we're but one and they're but two
And how we come to terms will help us pull through

Things cannot change too fast, it took us this much time
To reach our current platform and walk this fragile line
If I thought I'd make a difference, I'd kill myself today
But so many are like me, lost in the fray

You create your own reality
And leave mine to me, leave mine to me
Leave mine to me, leave mine to me

There are desperate times upon us, there are codes of white and black
Political resentment and people start to crack
There's hate and opposition, there's fumbling dialog
Yet you sit there and judge me and you think it makes a difference

If you think I'm all alone you are foolishly wrong
There's an entire army who blindly follow along
And you happen to be one of them, believe it or not
Even though you try not to be, we are of the same plague

The other ways we're taught to fear
Don't even scratch the surface of the problem here
But I'm not blind and I'm not scared
So many crucial factors exist out there
And we're but one and they're but two
And how we come to terms will help us pull through

Things cannot change too fast, it took us this much time
To reach our current platform and walk this fragile line
If I thought I'd make a difference, I'd kill myself today
But so many are like me, lost in the fray

You create your own reality
And leave mine to me, leave mine to me
Leave mine to me, leave mine to me

There are desperate times upon us, there are codes of white and black
Political resentment and people start to crack
There's hate and opposition, there's fumbling dialog
Yet you sit there and judge me and you think it makes a difference

If you think I'm all alone you are foolishly wrong
There's an entire army who blindly follow along
And you happen to be one of them, believe it or not
Even though you try not to be, we are of the same plague

The other ways we're taught to fear
Don't even scratch the surface of the problem here
But I'm not blind and I'm not scared
So many crucial factors exist out there
And we're but one and they're but two
And how we come to terms will help us pull through

Things cannot change too fast, it took us this much time
To reach our current platform and walk this fragile line
If I thought I'd make a difference, I'd kill myself today
But so many are like me, lost in the fray

You create your own reality
And leave mine to me, leave mine to me
Leave mine to me, leave mine to me

Kerosene
everywhere I look I see exclusive huddled
uninviting shelter is privilege,
of the sane and competent,
kerosene keeps me warm,
I'm alone to watch it burn,
kerosene
exposure, is a pitiful
and pointless way of dying
before it gets me,
I'll set a funeral pyre
kerosene keeps me warm,
I'm alone to watch it burn,
kerosene
I'm a man and my dignity
won't wave,
tonight buildings rage,
kerosene keeps me warm,
it feels so good
to watch it burn,
kerosene keeps me warm,
feels so good to watch it burn,
kerosene.

Everywhere I look I see
Exclusive huddled uninviting
Shelter is a privilege
Of the sane and competent

Kerosene keeps me warm
I'm alone to watch it burn
Kerosene

Exposure
Is a pitiful and pointless way of dying
Before it gets me
I'll build a funeral pyre

Kerosene keeps me warm
I'm alone to watch it burn
Kerosene

I'm a man and my dignity won't wave
Tonight buildings rage

Kerosene keeps me warm
Feels so good to watch it burn
Kerosene

Kerosene keeps me warm
I'm alone to watch it burn
Kerosene

Kerosene keeps me warm
Feels so good to watch it burn
Kerosene

Kerosene keeps me warm
Feels so good to watch it burn
Kerosene

Hoarding turns allure to discontent
Altruism's a grind all it's own
Morning makes you know your in a cell
But love is just as pure as you both

Because it's reciprocal,
It's reciprocal,
It's reciprocal,
It's reciprocal,

When true love is metaphysical
Venal desires we learn to beset
You and me we've got a special thing
But i want you to never forget

It's reciprocal,
It's reciprocal,
It's reciprocal,
It's reciprocal

Each bedtime I
Stir with regret
Guilty and vain,
Hoping for retribution

Charity's immune from my demands
I don't expect a thing from the weak
But you my love are measured and compared
Predisposed to my profane decree

It's reciprocal,
It's reciprocal,
It's reciprocal,
It's reciprocal

It's reciprocal!

It's a long way to the promise land
So you'd better well know your way
There's a ship on the ocean
And an albatross who is trying to lead you astray
Leaders, politicians, and power whores
Are in line to receive your choice
And you bet your ass, if you give it to them,
They will gladly take your voice
And it's a long way to the promise land
Wo-oh Oh oh oh oh
It's a long way to the promise land,
If we work we might find it here
There's no substitute for enlightenment,
There's no reason for bridled fear
When you join the people who've joined the club
You gotta clench and play your hand
'Cuz if you fall in line you're gonna fall in time
And you'll never make a stand
It's a long way to the promise land
Wo-oh Oh oh oh oh
What are you going to do?
When they come for you?
Bend and capitulate?
Or keep your head on straight?
easy answers bought without experience,
Is gonna lead you to certain doom
Because the truth is just what you make of it,
It begins and ends with you!
And it's a long way to the promise land
Wo-oh oh oh oh oh

Automatons with business suits, swinging black boxes
Sequestering the blueprints of daily life
Contented, free of care, they rejoice in morning ritual
As they file like drone ant colonies to their office in the sky

I don't ask questions, don't promote demonstrations
Don't look for new consensus, don't stray from constitution
If I pierce the complexity I won't find salvation
Just the bald and overt truth of the evil and deception

There is an inner logic and we're taught to stay far from it
And it's simple and elegant
But it's cruel and antithetic
And there's no effort to reveal it

Graduated mentors stroll in marbled brick porticos
In sagacious dialog they despise their average ways
Betraying pomp and discipline, they mold their institution
Where they practice exclusion on the masses every day

I don't ask questions, don't promote demonstrations
Don't look for new consensus, don't stray from constitution
If I pierce the complexity I won't find salvation
Just the bald and overt truth of the evil and deception

There is an inner logic and we're taught to stay far from it
And it's simple and elegant
But it's cruel and antithetic
And there's no effort to reveal it

Decorated warriors drill harmless kids on pavement
Simulating tyranny under red alert
Protecting the opulent and staging moral standard
They expect redemption of character and self-worth

Decorated warriors drill harmless kids on pavement
Simulating tyranny under red alert
Protecting the opulent and staging moral standard
They expect redemption of character and self-growth

No equality, no opportunity
No tolerance for the progressive alternative

Automatons with business suits, swinging black boxes
Sequestering the blueprints of daily life
Contented, free of care, they rejoice in morning ritual
As they file like drone ant colonies to their office in the sky

I don't ask questions, don't promote demonstrations
Don't look for new consensus, don't stray from constitution
If I pierce the complexity I won't find salvation
Just the bald and overt truth of the evil and deception

There is an inner logic and we're taught to stay far from it
And it's simple and elegant
But it's cruel and antithetic
And there's no effort to reveal it

Graduated mentors stroll in marbled brick porticos
In sagacious dialog they despise their average ways
Betraying pomp and discipline, they mold their institution
Where they practice exclusion on the masses every day

I don't ask questions, don't promote demonstrations
Don't look for new consensus, don't stray from constitution
If I pierce the complexity I won't find salvation
Just the bald and overt truth of the evil and deception

There is an inner logic and we're taught to stay far from it
And it's simple and elegant
But it's cruel and antithetic
And there's no effort to reveal it

Decorated warriors drill harmless kids on pavement
Simulating tyranny under red alert
Protecting the opulent and staging moral standard
They expect redemption of character and self-worth

Decorated warriors drill harmless kids on pavement
Simulating tyranny under red alert
Protecting the opulent and staging moral standard
They expect redemption of character and self-growth

No equality, no opportunity
No tolerance for the progressive alternative

Now here I go, hope I don't break down
I won't take anything, I don't need anything
Don't want to exist, I can't persist
Please stop before I do it again

Just talk about nothing
Let's talk about nothing
Let's talk about no one
Please talk about no one, someone, anyone

You and me have a disease
You affect me, you infect me
I'm afflicted, you're addicted
You and me, you and me

I'm on the edge, get against the wall
I'm so distracted, I'd like to strike you
Here's my confession, you learned your lesson
Stop me before I do it again

Just talk about nothing
Let's talk about nothing
Let's talk about no one
Please talk about no one, someone, anyone

You and me have a disease
You affect me, you infect me
I'm afflicted, you're addicted
You and me, you and me

You're clear as a heavy lead curtain
Want to drill you like an ocean
We can work it out, I've been running out
Now I'm running out, don't be mad about it, baby

You and me have a disease
You affect me, you infect me
I'm afflicted, you're addicted
You and me, you and me

I want to tie you, crucify you
Kneel before you, revile your body
You and me, we're made in heaven
I want to take you, I want to break you
Supplicate you with thorny roses

You and me are incurable
I want to bathe you in holy water
I want to kill you upon the altar
You and me, you and me

Now here I go, hope I don't break down
I won't take anything, I don't need anything
Don't want to exist, I can't persist
Please stop before I do it again

Just talk about nothing
Let's talk about nothing
Let's talk about no one
Please talk about no one, someone, anyone

You and me have a disease
You affect me, you infect me
I'm afflicted, you're addicted
You and me, you and me

I'm on the edge, get against the wall
I'm so distracted, I'd like to strike you
Here's my confession, you learned your lesson
Stop me before I do it again

Just talk about nothing
Let's talk about nothing
Let's talk about no one
Please talk about no one, someone, anyone

You and me have a disease
You affect me, you infect me
I'm afflicted, you're addicted
You and me, you and me

You're clear as a heavy lead curtain
Want to drill you like an ocean
We can work it out, I've been running out
Now I'm running out, don't be mad about it, baby

You and me have a disease
You affect me, you infect me
I'm afflicted, you're addicted
You and me, you and me

I want to tie you, crucify you
Kneel before you, revile your body
You and me, we're made in heaven
I want to take you, I want to break you
Supplicate you with thorny roses

You and me are incurable
I want to bathe you in holy water
I want to kill you upon the altar
You and me, you and me

Individuals run for cover for the multitudes of thoughtless clones
Have reached a critical mass, have reached a critical mass
Individuals hide in fear undercover, sheltered by the wafer
Thin veil of intelligence, thin veil of intelligence

Individuals, nowhere to be seen

Urbana is oozing like a bloated carcass with maggots
Cooking in the desert heat, cooking in the desert heat
Oozing with progeny writhing and desperate for input from
Someone more determined, someone more determined

Congregated in invisible circles
Half apart and half apart
All too aware of the insignificance
Pushing on with soul and heart

Individuals don't pray for forgiveness when pinned up against the wall
Under siege of persecution, under siege of persecution
Individuals command exception and accept dichotomy
Maybe you can't choose anymore, maybe you can't choose anymore

Procreation without gain or purpose
Languid wills and torpid minds
Catapulted ever faster by the arrow of time
You take yours and I'll keep mine

Individuals run for cover for the multitudes of thoughtless clones
Have reached a critical mass, have reached a critical mass
Individuals hide in fear undercover, sheltered by the wafer
Thin veil of intelligence, thin veil of intelligence

Individuals, nowhere to be seen

Urbana is oozing like a bloated carcass with maggots
Cooking in the desert heat, cooking in the desert heat
Oozing with progeny writhing and desperate for input from
Someone more determined, someone more determined

Congregated in invisible circles
Half apart and half apart
All too aware of the insignificance
Pushing on with soul and heart

Individuals don't pray for forgiveness when pinned up against the wall
Under siege of persecution, under siege of persecution
Individuals command exception and accept dichotomy
Maybe you can't choose anymore, maybe you can't choose anymore

Procreation without gain or purpose
Languid wills and torpid minds
Catapulted ever faster by the arrow of time
You take yours and I'll keep mine

Mother, father
Look at your little monster
I'm a hero, I'm a zero
I'm the butt of the worst joke in history

I'm a lock without a key, a city with no door
A prayer without faith, a show without a score
I'm a bad word, a wink, a nod, a shiver
An untold story, sex without purity, a creeping gray memory

I am incomplete
Incomplete
Incomplete
Incomplete

Doctor, cure me
What is the cause of my condition?
This madness shoots me
Like bullets smashing glass in a silent movie

I'm a trap without a spring, a temple with no god
A jack without an ace, the tip of your tongue
I'm a promise in an unmailed letter
An unbuilt motor, deck without a joker, a creeping gray memory

I am incomplete
Incomplete
Incomplete
Incomplete

Tell Saint Peter not to bet on me
I've got a naked obsession
A good intention gone bad

I am incomplete
Incomplete
Incomplete
Incomplete

I can see the shadows on the wall
drifting as the leaves start to fall
unfazed by rugosity, the objects yield to gravity
and depict the destiny of us all

no one really knows why we die
no one gets a break so we try
ignoring mortality, we worship mediocrity
and wait to see what happens up on high

in so many ways we live to follow the sun
in so many ways we exalt and fail as one
in so many ways we want so bad to be done
in so many ways we show our pain in unison
unison (2x)

something in you is busy counting days
catapulting you through the haze
blind to virtuosity, ignorant of your sanctity
revealing you in so many ways

in so many ways we live to follow the sun
in so many ways we tend to rise and fall as one
in so many ways we want so bad to be done
in so many ways we show our pain in unison
unison (2x)

in so many ways we live to follow the sun
in so many ways we exalt and fail as one
in so many ways we want so bad to be done
in so many ways we show our pain in unison
unison (2x)

I love my computer
You make me feel alright
Every waking hour
and every lonely night
I love my computer
for all you give to me:
predictable errors and no identity
And it's never been quite so easy
I've never been quite so happy
All I need to do is click on you
and we'll be joined
in the most soul-less way
And we'll never ruin each other's day
'cuz when I'm through I just click
and you just go away
I love my computer
you're always in the mood
I get so turned on
when I turn on you
I love my computer
you never ask for more
You can be a princess
or you can be my whore
And it's never been quite so easy
I've never been quite so happy
The world outside is so big
but it's safe in my domain
Because to you
I'm just a number
and a clever screen name
All I need to do is click on you
and we'll be together for eternity
And no one is ever gonna take my love
from me because I've got security
her password and a key

Well, I can see my teenage father standing straight on a desolate corner
In the shadow of tentacled towers by the red light of America
I imagine how his mother felt
When she heard that her husband was dying

And the underground heroes of the tarmac shooting smack
Were blowing up worlds and damned out loud
Hey, can you tell me, how does it feel?
Yeah, tell me

Can you imagine for a second
Doing anything that you don't have to?
Well, that's what I'm accustomed to
So hooray for me and fuck you!

When I slept with stony faces on the riverbank
My angel-devil reveller shook me desperately in dying
I don't exactly want to apologize for anything

And now we're all mad and tangled
In secret rooms with roman candles
On an endless graveyard train
Yeah, tell me

Can you imagine for a second
Doing anything just 'cause you want to?
Well, that's just what I do
So hooray for me and fuck you!

Yeah, I was dreaming through the "how's life," yawning, car black in that night
When she told me "mad and meaningless as ever"
And a song came on my radio like a cemetery rhyme
For a million crying voices in their tragedy of respectable existence

Tell me, can you imagine for a second
Trying half the things you ever wanted to?
Well, that's just what I do
So hooray for me

Oh yeah, I'm not respectable, never sensible
Maybe incredible, so damned irascible
I like the things I do
So hooray for me and fuck you!

Well, I can see my teenage father standing straight on a desolate corner
In the shadow of tentacled towers by the red light of America
I imagine how his mother felt
When she heard that her husband was dying

And the underground heroes of the tarmac shooting smack
Were blowing up worlds and damned out loud
Hey, can you tell me, how does it feel?
Yeah, tell me

Can you imagine for a second
Doing anything that you don't have to?
Well, that's what I'm accustomed to
So hooray for me and fuck you!

When I slept with stony faces on the riverbank
My angel-devil reveller shook me desperately in dying
I don't exactly want to apologize for anything

And now we're all mad and tangled
In secret rooms with roman candles
On an endless graveyard train
Yeah, tell me

Can you imagine for a second
Doing anything just 'cause you want to?
Well, that's just what I do
So hooray for me and fuck you!

Yeah, I was dreaming through the "how's life," yawning, car black in that night
When she told me "mad and meaningless as ever"
And a song came on my radio like a cemetery rhyme
For a million crying voices in their tragedy of respectable existence

Tell me, can you imagine for a second
Trying half the things you ever wanted to?
Well, that's just what I do
So hooray for me

Oh yeah, I'm not respectable, never sensible
Maybe incredible, so damned irascible
I like the things I do
So hooray for me and fuck you!

As I walk beneath the valley
I shall fear no evil
'Cause thanks to King George and his rainbow cabinet
Today murder is legal

God, I know that it's wrong
To kill my brother for what he hasn't done
And as the planes blacken the sky
It sounds like heaven is falling

It sounds like heaven is falling
You promise me a new day a-dawning
I see a thousand points of light
Like so many points of hatred, shame, and horror

God, I want to be a man
But I don't want to die with a rifle in my hand
And as the planes blacken the sky
It sounds like heaven is falling

It sounds like heaven is falling
You promise me a new day a-dawning
Well, nothing here looks new to me
But a score of mothers' sons caught between the devil and the deep blue sea