[Intro — spoken] This is my final answer. … For now. [Beat drops] [Verse 1] I had a theory about you Had a theory about me Had a theory about everybody I was ever gonna meet Had the motives categorized Had the causes underneath Little labels on the boxes Everything where it should be And it worked Yeah, it worked Beautifully, actually Right until reality Developed personality One detail Wrong size One fact I couldn’t normalize One person doing something That my explanation couldn’t justify So I did what any reasonable Highly evolved mind would do— Changed the theory. What? You thought I’d change the facts? [Hook] WORKING THEORY Good enough for now WORKING THEORY Tell me when it breaks down I don’t need forever I don’t need a perfect fit Give me something useful Then update that shit. WORKING THEORY Hold it lightly in your hand WORKING THEORY Best that I understand If tomorrow brings me something I didn’t know today— Good. Let it change. [Instrumental break — chopped guitar riff] [Verse 2] People love a final answer Something laminated clean Put a border round the edges Call the middle what it means “This is who I am.” “This is what you do.” “This is why it happened.” “This is absolutely true.” Okay. Maybe. How long’s the warranty on that? Because I’ve watched a lot of permanent conclusions Age extremely fast I’ve been wrong for good reasons Right for reasons that were bad I’ve defended things I later learned I never really had I’ve inherited explanations From a version of myself Who was doing pretty well With what was sitting on the shelf No shame. He used the data that he had. But I’m not giving him lifetime control Because he wrote the first draft. [Hook] WORKING THEORY Good enough for now WORKING THEORY Tell me when it breaks down I don’t need forever I don’t need a perfect fit Give me something useful Then update that shit. WORKING THEORY Hold it lightly in your hand WORKING THEORY Best that I understand If tomorrow brings me something I didn’t know today— Good. Let it change. [Verse 3] Now here’s where everybody panics: “If everything can change Then nothing means anything.” Nah. That doesn’t follow. Bridge still holds Till somebody finds a crack Medicine works Till better evidence comes back Love is real Even when the people in it grow Maps are useful Even when the map ain’t where you go You can use a model Without worshipping the model You can make a choice today Without pretending it’s eternal You can say: “This is what I think.” “This is why.” “This is what would change my mind.” That last part scares people. I kinda like it. Leaves a window in the room So reality can find it. [Breakdown — beat strips down] You want my final answer? … Why? [Beat slams back] [Final Hook] WORKING THEORY Good enough for now WORKING THEORY Go ahead and test it out Push against the edges Find the places it won’t fit If it survives— use it. If it doesn’t— update that shit. WORKING THEORY Nothing sacred in the plan WORKING THEORY Best that I understand I can mean what I believe Without believing I’m complete That’s not indecision. That’s intellectual hygiene. [Outro — beat and guitar loop degrading] Ask me tomorrow. Maybe I’ll say the same thing. Ask me next year. Hopefully not. Ask me Tuesday. … Tuesday feels ambitious.
