1. |
fall of man
03:16
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to everything there’s a season
preachers say god has a plan and
that everything happens for a reason just sometimes
it’s one we’re not meant to understand
so when bad things happen to not bad people
they say “look to the good book and flock to the steeple”
our sorrows have meaning and will come to an end
it’s just deserts for original sin
the fall of man means painful toil
thorns and thistles from rocky soil
curs-ed is the ground thanks to adam and eve
well i guess i gotta see it to believe
‘cause when the plan says an infant has to die
and the faithful pray to god to intervene
but that request is not accepted up on high
then there’s no evidence of things not seen
but he’s the best thing to happen to us lousy human beings
the source of all joy the source of all suffering
all powerful, all loving, and all seeing
so who are we to ask him to change a thing?
the fall of man means painful toil
thorns and thistles from rocky soil
curs-ed is the ground thanks to adam and eve
well i guess i gotta see it to believe
and if evil is just part of the greater good
then there’s no point in living with morality
auditioning for heaven like we’re told we should
instead of facing mortality’s reality
the lord works in mysterious ways
so our ancestors sin but we pay reparations
for eating fruit but not for owning slaves
inventing angels and demons to try to explain
the fall of man means painful toil
thorns and thistles from rocky soil
curs-ed is the ground thanks to adam and eve
well i guess i gotta see it to believe
but “in spite of everything I still believe
that people are really good at heart”
few of us choose to thieve or deceive
and no one is corrupted from the start
there’s no help or judgement from the sky
so it’s up to every one of us to try
to be there and to care for each other
this is our chance and we won’t get another
the fall of man means painful toil
thorns and thistles from rocky soil
curs-ed is the ground thanks to adam and eve
well i guess i gotta see it to believe
the fall of man means painful toil
thorns and thistles from rocky soil
curs-ed is the ground thanks to adam and eve
well it’s really pretty hard to believe
it’s hard to believe
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2. |
maitri
04:32
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when confronted with anger and fear
my hopes were so naive
i blamed myself for my choice to hear
only what i wanted to perceive
i know i'll never be perfect
but i'm doing my best
so i'll try not to get too down on myself
for my unskillfullness
now to this illusory ego
to which i so tightly cling
with lovingkindness i sing
this simple offering
may you be joyful
may you know peace
may you be safe
and free from suffering
well it seems like i've known you
all of my days
your unconditional loving support
has helped me in so many ways
it hasn't always been easy
but you've always been there
i know I can trust you
i know that you care
you're my dear benefactor
you took me under your wing
with gratitude i sing
this simple offering
may you be joyful
may you know peace
may you be safe
and free from suffering
now you're a perfect stranger
i'll probably never see again
i don't know what you've seen
and i don't know where you've been
but i know you have hopes and fears
because all of us do
and i know i would act the same
if i were standing in your shoes
you're an anonymous face
just another human being
with compassion i sing
this simple offering
may you be joyful
may you know peace
may you be safe
and free from suffering
i hope you can forgive me
though it seems i've trespassed against you
i hope you don't dwell on events in the past
that have haunted, stayed, or convinced you
that my actions or words are responsible
for how you choose to feel
that anyone other than you can decide
whether wounds hurt or heal
you're my teacher, my student
my friend and enemy
with all apologies i sing
this simple offering
may you be joyful
may you know peace
may you be safe
and free from suffering
may we be joyful
may we know peace
may we be safe
and free from suffering
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3. |
intolerable acts
03:30
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oh say can't you see
the pain and despair
by the blood red glare
of bombs bursting in air
somehow i don't think
everyone saw what i saw
a government invading
sovereign land said
“how’d our oil
get under their sand?”
well I guess I’m feeling shock
but it isn’t awe
for these intolerable acts
oh beautiful for spacious skies
where a smog-stained
flag of convenience flies
where profiteers prosper
and put on patriot acts
oh purple mountains majesty
with peaks mined away
poisonous rivers and leaders of nations
who refuse to listen to the facts
of these intolerable acts
when in the course
of human events
it’s clear some people
don’t have common sense
it’s the duty of all true
patriots to protest
just like back in
seventeen seventy six
when the people got sick
of old george’s tricks
the extent of our love
for our country
is put to the test
by these intolerable acts
we live in the land of the free
home of the brave
land built on the backs
of a people enslaved
land where our fathers died
land of the pilgrim pride
land occupied through genocide
where we regulate wombs
not killing machines and
politicize life-saving vaccines
with hypocrisy from
sea to shining sea
it’s time to rethink our priorities
it’s time to take a knee
it’s time to reread
that u.s.constitution
reclaim the spangled banner
as the sign of revolution
that it was when our forefathers
and mothers expressed their dissent
we the people need the power
not the corporations
corrupt politicians
or television stations
i hold these truths
to be self evident
in these intolerable acts
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4. |
eye for an eye
04:22
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it’s clearly not deterring the crime
any more than sentencing time
it’s like thinking that a finger in a hole in a dam will stop a flood
and there’s no undoing the mistakes that have been made
innocent daughters and sons who have paid
with their lives for our unquenchable thirst for blood
taking an eye for an eye will leave the whole world blind
perpetuating this culture of violence
like a vicious cycle, it doesn’t make sense
when we still have the power to instantly end life on earth
what real solace can more killing bring
it’s as if history hasn’t taught us anything
and who are we to decide how much a life is worth?
taking an eye for an eye will leave the whole world blind
i’m not always one to turn the other cheek
and i don’t expect to inherit along with the meek
but i do know that two wrongs do not make a right
revenge is a dish by which no one is served
torture and cruelty are never deserved
and seeing red only causes us to lose our sight
taking an eye for an eye will leave the whole world blind
forgiveness can be granted without absolution
holding on to hatred is like drinking poison
and then waiting for your enemy to die
peace of mind won’t be found in retribution
true justice requires compassion
without taking an eye for an eye
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5. |
reminder
03:41
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like a drawing in chalk on the asphalt
washed away by a summer rain
like the scent of a sweet autumn fruit
when just a hint of its fragrance remains
like the glistening frost of a winter
as it melts away into the spring
like an empty bagel tray
with a sign that says "everything"
you remind me
the only constant is change
you remind me to
be here in the present
to let go of the past
to let go of the future
let go of the notion that anything will last
just keep polishing the mirror
though it couldn't be clearer
that there really isn't any dust
or any place for dust to cling
like a rainbow across the horizon
that i could never begin to contain
like a flower that blooms because it blooms
there is no need to attempt to explain
just to soak in the sadness and beauty
and radiate the joy that life brings
present moment by wonderful moment
to laugh and cry and live and love and sing
and be reminded
the only constant is change
be reminded to
be here in the present
to let go of the past
to let go of the future
let go of the notion that anything will last
just keep polishing the mirror
though it couldn't be clearer
that there really isn't any dust
or any place for dust to cling
when my mortality won't let me sleep
when i want to think that
there's something i can keep
you remind me to smile to my fear
you remind me
you remind me to
be here in the present
to let go of the past
to let go of the future
let go of the notion that anything will last
just keep polishing the mirror
though it couldn't be clearer
that there really isn't any dust
or any place for dust to cling
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6. |
mending wall
03:14
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in a swaying drunken stupor
you staggered over from next door
inhibitions drained away,
you planted yourself on my front porch
to say my family and i are freaks
because we don't do things your way
and you were unwilling or unable
to listen to anything i had to say
but our similarities forgive us our offenses
and good neighbors are made by lowering defenses
you fly a floodlit stars and stripes in your front yard
and i think that i know why
to you it’s not the corporations for which it stands
but for the kids sent overseas to kill and die
and you saw me on the corner with a sign
that read “end the occupation of iraq"
you said your boy has been there
two long years and we
agreed it's way past time to bring them back
so our similarities still outweigh our differences
and good neighbors are made by lowering defenses
now if i could, i would take away the fear
it seems you're trying not to feel
for me, the pain of war is still abstract
for you it's daily and it's real
there are hundreds of things about which
you and i will never find common ground
but we both want understanding and respect
we both want your son and all the troops
to come home soon and safe and sound
so our similarities can bring us to our senses
and good neighbors are made by lowering defenses
don't misunderstand. i don't look forward
to your next inebriated diatribe and
i hope you stick to your front porch
the next time you imbibe
but i politely endured your monologue
and when you left, i shook your hand
you said 'in the end we all are one'
so maybe you understand
that nothing comes from hiding behind fences
and good neighbors are made by lowering defenses...
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7. |
proud to be your son
02:57
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i was too proud and angry
to always appreciate you
too arrogant and self-centered
to always see your point of view
but when i think back and remember
the loving things you've done
i know i'm fortunate you were my mother
and i'm proud to be your son
i'm fortunate you were my mother
and i'm proud to be your son
you taught me politics isn't about white guys
who sit around, debate, and theorize
it's about speaking truth to power
it's about learning to organize for dignity
like when you campaigned for equality
you were part of the victories won
and you were working for justice and peace
and i'm proud to be your son
you were working for justice and peace
and i'm proud to be your son
they say garbage gets dumped where the poor live
they told you there is no choice
so you stood with your neighbors in protest
you helped give the powerless a voice
i know that you were leading
when that struggle was begun
and you were working for justice and peace
and i'm proud to be your son
you were working for justice and peace
and i'm proud to be your son
you saw kids living in concrete bunkers
when your heart led you to the west bank
generations driven from their homes
rocks versus guns and planes and tanks
and you helped repair the schools
and played with the children
and you were working for justice and peace
and i'm proud to be your son
you were working for justice and peace
and i'm proud to be your son
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8. |
same boat
03:01
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whether we list to starboard
or list to port
first in line or last resort
we’re all gettin’ played
against each other
by the one percent
who say who to love
and who to resent
well they party on deck
while we fight below
they take the lifeboat oars
and tell us to row
we’re in a titanic panic
with an iceberg right ahead
but we’re in the same boat
sink one end we’re gonna sink the other
same boat
united we stand
divided we fall
but instead of feeding the needy
we’re greedy building a wall
the tired and poor
yearn to breathe free
we gotta to do unto them
as to the least of these
the few are going up on the stern
the rest of us are going down on the prow
so we’ve got to come together right now
no matter the vote,
we won’t stay afloat
if we let the trolls
poke holes in our boat
to thunderous applause
our liberty dies
while we anonymously virtually generalize
swindled by a con
brainwashed to think
that those drowning around us
are making us sink
while tribalism makes our enemy hard to see
but we’re in the same boat
sink one end we’re gonna sink the other
same boat
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9. |
easy answers
03:26
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it's just like that riddle
about the chicken and the egg
the answer sure as hell isn't heaven sent
if there must be a designer
then the designer must have been designed
what some call the first cause
had to be caused by an event
but without any difficult questions
the answers are so easy,
prepackaged morality prefab philosophy,
life isn't so scary
thinking that there is a hand to hold
don't just accept those easy answers
question what we're told
of course we can all believe
what we need to believe
but freedom of religion means
freedom from theocracy
when we think we need the meaning
when we think we have all the answers
we could stand to learn to be
comfortable with uncertainty
or we can accept it may be there’s
only chaos and unpredictability
there is no other to accept responsibility
and no remedy for the doubt and the mystery
don't just accept those easy answers
question what we're told
well I don't know the answers
any more than you do
but there's no need for holy wars
ostracism, persecution, crucifixion
the way ain’t superstition
but don't take my word for it
question what we're told
‘cause when I hear that vague,
ambiguous vocabulary
to me it just sounds like…
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10. |
take back our lives
02:59
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we’re told that the more stuff we own,
the happier we’ll be
as if conspicuous consumption
is our new manifest destiny
and we know less about our neighbors
than about some t.v. celebrity
so focused on possessions, we’re disconnected
from each other and from reality
but if we take back our lives
we can’t be desensitized
we can throw away this throwaway society
and overcome our separation anxiety
if we take back our lives
now we’re told to crunch all we want
because someone will make more
as if these things don't come from our finite earth
they just appear in the store
and if the truth is inconvenient
we’re told to ignore... the evidence
warming mirrors industrialization
but we’re told it’s just coincidence
but if we take back our lives
we don’t have to buy those lies
we can give our natural capital its true valuation
think ahead to the needs of the seventh generation
and take back our lives
the powerful profit from pollution
in proportion to political contributions
they say our only hope is to purchase
their so-called solutions
but each of us can make our own resolution
to take back our lives
our farms are being replaced
with animal feeding operations
and we’re told that we asked
for this fast food nation
when factories dump their waste
they see us as consuming machines
they think that only the poor
and powerless live downstream
but if we take back our lives,
we can’t be disenfranchised
we can stop driving tanks to get to the mall
turn off the tube, stand up against the Wal
and take back our lives
the powerful profit from pollution
in proportion to political contributions
they say our only hope is to purchase
their so-called solutions
but each of us can make our own resolution
to take back our lives
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11. |
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we send our youth off to defend u.s. hegemony
tell them to look for non-existent w.m.d
and they just want to keep their family
safe from harm there are other ways
they’d like to spend their days
instead of taking up arms
so honor the soldier but protest the war
sing loud that we ain’t gonna study it no more
no recruiter will admit our democracy
is rotten to the core
so honor the soldier but protest the war
well the new regime cooked up a scheme
for unilateral invasion and
tried to sell it to the world as some kind of liberation
but the machinery of occupation
makes battlegrounds out of farms
even a peaceful man will fight for his land
if forced to take up arms
so honor the soldier but protest the war
cause good god y’all, there’s absolutely
nothin’ that it’s good for aside from
making the rich richer and killing off the poor
so honor the soldier but protest the war
while across the sea, we’re in a hurry
to forget what’s done in our name
and when troops come home there’s just
ambivalence, empty promises and blame
we go about our daily lives
like there’s no cause for alarm
we turn our heads and scoff instead of
standing up strong arm in arm to
honor the soldier but protest the war
there are things about our country
we can’t continue to ignore
and our flag decals won’t get us
much of anywhere anymore
so honor the soldier but protest the war
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12. |
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taking a great authoritarian dystopian direction
moving Orwell and Atwood to the nonfiction section
while doublespeak divides diverts deflects and distracts
Faux news prolefeeds alternative facts
the grand ol’ Party says reject all evidence of eyes and ears
and only listen to the voices that appeal to your fears
malquoted bellyfeel duckspeak from Minitrue
and conspiracy theories are trusted more than the news
the ones the tyranny of the minority chose to elect
could serve as prime examples of the Dunning-Krueger effect
they’ll sink to any depth and go to any length
to get the loyal base to chant ignorance is strength
the fourth estate is now the people’s enemy
we can only trust the kleptocratic kakistocracy
it doesn’t matter just how many laws they break
we need Big Brother watching every breath we take
Dear Leader lies a lot but that’s pArt of the Deal
because the truth matters less than how his lies make us feel
and since hoarding wealth and cheating are to be admired
some sacrifices on our part will be required
our system is designed to work for just a few such that
nothing ever trickles down to me and you
and while attacking veterans is showing bravery
praising despots proves freedom is slavery
like eff en two one eight seven, I am with the resistance
and those who have been warned for their persistence
we want congress' decisions to be evidence-based
and for equity of opportunity to be embraced
we’re working multiple jobs for stagnating wages
while our taxes are wasted locking children in cages
so is it love the sinner, hate the sin, or love it or leave it?
disinformation to a population ripe to receive it
oligarchs committed more than just a thought to crimes
so we’re draining the swamp and reclaiming our time
because the propaganda factory will never cease
saying our allies are a threat to us and war is peace
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13. |
optimist anthem
03:28
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Optimist Anthem
(by Still on the Hill)
we’ve been fighting for a better world but
lately it seems like we’ve been losing
all the obstacles before us
loom like dark and endless forests
that are getting darker every day
while rights are being stripped away
we help to turn production gears
that swirl and spin around us
as if doomed to toil for all of those
whose narrow vision brought this fate upon us
but it doesn’t have to be this way
it’s past time to break those bonds
and move beyond outmoded ways of thinking
that have proved a dismal failure
over and over and over
for then the ones who would do evil
will be few and far between and will not matter
they’ll be swallowed into brightness
by a sea of joyous masses
forced to stand aside or join us
with no enemy among us
when all nations work as one
and the rescue has begun
of our endangered planet
our survival demands it and we’ll listen
because it doesn’t have to be this way
it’s past time to break those bonds
and move beyond outmoded ways of thinking
that have proved a dismal failure
over and over and over and over and over
well the answer my friends
is still blowing in the wind more like a storm
it’s true the task is daunting
so much suffering so much wanting
so much damage has been done
by the dollar and the gun
but the struggles still before us
hold the answer we’ve been searching for
it’s in the work of humankind
and there’s plenty of that work for us to do
yeah it’s true that we must work
but our work can have a purpose
we can set upon the remedies
for fixing what is broken
we’ll embrace new ways of living life
that won’t destroy the earth
bring an end to war and hunger
and pay workers what they’re worth
and the healing force of doing good
will be loosed upon the world
it will empower every man and woman
every boy and girl and we won’t
sing laments about a fate to which we are resigned
because a new song will be ringing
in the freedom of our minds
because it doesn’t have to be this way
it’s past time to break those bonds
and move beyond outmoded ways of thinking
that have proved a dismal failure
over and over and over and over
and over and over and over
because it doesn’t have to be this way
no it doesn’t have to be this way
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14. |
again
03:52
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again
(by dave dean)
hello how long has it been my friend?
my idea of heaven would be to do this again
once with foresight and one time clean
to see you for the first time again
that's a dream of mine
farewell
i'm going away for a little while my friend
i can’t wait to see you for the first time again
that's a dream of mine
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15. |
dark of winter
04:05
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this year has passed
from the promise of spring
through the adolescent summer
and the energy it brings
to the leaves we caught in autumn
some wishes made on them came true
but others just fell to the ground
when the winds of changes blew
now warmth drains from the days
and all comforts are lost
and the light slowly fades
before the bitter killing frost
and so i rail against the fading winter’s light
as if my sadness, fear, and pleading
could forestall the long, dark, inevitable night
and my tired body trembles
with the penetrating cold
as i search in vain for anything to hold
there was a time of youth and sunshine
it seems i'll never know again
so i distract myself with memories
of other places that i've been
or imagine when the ice will thaw
and the crocus will bloom
and bright colors will grow from the earth to the sky
to chase away this grey and lonely gloom
but for now, the ground is barren
and the days are soft but still
i can’t imagine that there's enough heat in the sun
to drive away this chill
and so i rail against the fading winter’s light
as if my sadness, fear, and pleading
could forestall the long, dark, inevitable night
and my tired body trembles
with the penetrating cold
as i search in vain for anything to hold
but there's a certain calming beauty
in the cycles we perceive
it's hard to say exactly when winter arrives
or precisely when it leaves
like the transformational continuum
between firewood and ash
it’s not entirely different or exactly the same
as it appeared to be in the past
so from beneath a cozy woolen blanket
i sip a steaming cup of tea
i savor the contrast in the icy air
and watch the swaying leafless trees
though I still rail against the fading winter’s light
as if my sadness, fear, and pleading
could forestall the long, dark, inevitable night
i’ll also celebrate the comforts
that surround me even now
and not take these things for granted
in the time that we’re allowed
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16. |
baby, it's just a song
02:36
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It’s only a song
(yeah, it’s one I can’t help but hear)
I just like to sing along
(It’s everywhere this time of year)
I don’t understand
(I don’t think it should be banned)
What’s the big deal?
(but I do not see the appeal)
Oh, you’re such a social justice fanatic
(I find the premise quite problematic)
You take offense at something new every day
(well, your defensiveness gets in the way)
Your complaining sounds to me like static
(you’re acting so melodramatic)
and your sense of humor has all gone away
(I‘m trying to say)
that many of the truths we cling to
(There’s a lot of worse songs out there)
depend greatly on our own point of view
(A lot of worse wrongs out there)
So I wish I knew how
(come on, you have to allow)
to help you see
(when judging art, context is key)
It perpetuates a sex double standard
(I guess that’s something I’ve seen and heard)
that we have outgrown as a society
(That makes sense to some degree)
Just listen carefully
(But obviously)
it’s more than just a song
(Baby, it’s just a song)
It just seems to me
(there’s a lot of great songs to sing)
that’s how things used to be
(that don’t feel so wrong to sing)
when courtship has been
(where everyone says what they mean)
more like a dance
(communication’s the foundation of romance)
I’m sad we’re leaving all that behind
(glad we’re leaving all that behind)
thanks to all you PC snowflakes
(oh, for goodness sakes)
There’s better reasons to lose your mind
(you mean like the axe that you grind)
This righteous indignation seems fake
(over a Starbucks cup or a wedding cake?)
I’m starting to think
(ha, there’s a first time for everything)
That you may have spiked your own drink
(since when is it a crime to sing?)
but I really am glad
(well, at least you’re not mad)
we had this chat
(I guess I can concur with that)
We have to teach that no means no
(it’s something every person should know)
clarity and consent are essential
(I see the teaching moment potential)
Then I think we agree
(to disagree)
It’s more than just a song
(baby, it’s just a song)
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17. |
bulls in a china shop
03:30
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subliminally planting the seed
telling us to want things we don’t need
sugar coated images spilling from screens
while advertisers push
the crass commercial disease
we’re divorced from means of production
and forced to buy the sly seduction (sly)
they fabricate dependency
people as commodity
implanting brand loyalty
cranking out more stuff
without a thought to where it goes
what happens when it’s spent
or whether anybody knows
the damage that is caused
the billionaires don’t care
their only concern is the value of
those precious market shares
we’re divorced from means of production
and forced to buy the sly seduction (sly)
subsidized monopolies
ship jobs overseas and
outsource externalities
but they keep hawking their wares
and we keep going into debt
although they cause epidemics
although they cause regrets
for what they do to our planet
our bodies, our minds, and our lives
we’re told we have no choice
when the time for collective action arrives
we’re divorced from means of production
and forced to buy the sly seduction (sly)
exploitative plutocracy
eroding public policy
no fairness or decency
is it “better than nothing”
to be trapped in an abusive job
to be paid pennies while the c.e.o.
luxuriously pillages and robs
we’re kept oblivious
like bulls in a china shop
how much is enough?
how much is too much?
they don’t know when to stop
we’re divorced from means of production
and forced to buy the sly seduction (sly)
income inequalities
excessive disparities
social instability
so we say people over profit
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18. |
exequals
03:29
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i want to understand you
and i want to be understood
but i can't just repeat what i've heard
how i feel and what i would do
is too much to sum up in a word
actions speak louder than words
love’s not something in which we fall
between us, there’s no need to say
anything, anything at all
love is not just a feeling
for that which we find appealing
that's affection it isn't hard to do
love is investing energy
not something to be in or not to be
we do or do not
there aren't levels we can choose
actions speak louder than words
love’s not something in which we fall
between us, there’s no need to say
anything, anything at all
so forget about the words
forget about the words
actions speak louder than words
love’s not something in which we fall
between us, there’s no need to say
anything, anything at all
because
all my words combined
still aren’t strong enough
all my words combined
still aren’t strong enough
|
||||
dandean Fayetteville, Arkansas
Dan was raised by a journalist and a Justice of the Peace who instilled the importance of political awareness. He played in punk bands in the late 80s as an outlet for expressing his philosophy. He became an architect and worked for nonprofits from which he learned to organize for a better world and to construct songs that function on multiple levels. ... more
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