Performance Art, not from the Heart

[Verse 1] You put on the mercy like a heavy wool coat While the venom’s still dripping from the words in your throat. You polished the silver, you swept out the hall, But the shadow you’re casting is ten stories tall. You’re a master of gestures, a king of the "Amen," But you’re back to the shadows when the lights dim again. [Pre-Chorus] Oh, the stage is set, the house is full You’re wrapped in fine-spun, righteous wool But the seams are splitting, can’t you feel the draft? It’s a tragedy dressed up as a holy craft [Chorus] It’s performance art, not from the heart You’re playing the saint while you tear the world apart A whitewashed wall in a designer light A neon mask in the dead of night Yeah, the costume’s fine, and the lines are smart But it’s performance art... not from the heart [Verse 2] You keep the law so you don’t have to love With a fist in the dirt and a gaze up above. Your virtue’s a badge, it’s a political brand, Built on a foundation of shifting gray sand. The hand that you offer is cold as a stone, You’re worshiping a mirror on a hollowed-out throne. [Bridge] Zipping up the "goodness"... Buttoning the grace... Adjusting the "honor"... Just to hide your face. THE THEATER IS OVER [Chorus] It’s performance art, not from the heart You’re playing the saint while you tear the world apart A whitewashed wall in a designer light A neon mask in the dead of night Yeah, the costume’s fine, and the lines are smart But it’s performance art... not from the heart [Outro] Take a bow, "Good Man." The house is empty. Yeah, the fabric’s thinning... I can see right through the threads.