[Intro: A lazy, descending piano scale that never quite resolves.] … [Verse 1: Delivery is fast, muttered, and rhythmic. The piano chords are stabbing on the downbeat.] The anchor wears a Windsor knot to tell us who to hate He’s polished up the tyranny to serve it on a plate. My coffee’s getting cold while I metabolize the fear They’re passing legislation that could terminate the year. I’m scrolling past the riots for a dopamine reprieve "Democracy is dying," screams the print across my sleeve. The graphics are fantastic, high-resolution doom Projecting 4K fascists in the corner of my room. [Chorus: Melody lifts slightly but feels strained. The static noise swells, creating a headache-inducing pressure.] And I should be in the street. I should be on the phone. But paralysis is comfortable When you are all alone. The sheer amount of history Is heavy on the head. I think I’ll take the coward’s way And go back to my bed. [Bridge: Tempo increases. The cello joins in with frantic, swarming notes. The vocal becomes desperate, overlapping with itself.] The pundit’s screaming murder— The ticker’s running red— The algorithm knows exactly What I haven’t said— The volume bar is rising It’s a choir full of static— The panic is systematic— It’s loud. It’s loud! IT’S LOUD— [The Moment: A sharp, mechanical CLICK. Silence. Absolute, dead air for three seconds.] [Verse 2: Extremely slow. Just the piano and the voice..] ...The silence hits the carpet like a bird against the glass. The sudden lack of voltage is a violent kind of pass. The screen is just a mirror now, a glossy, dark abyss Reflecting back a silhouette that looks a lot like this: Slumped upon the sofa, with a weapon in my hand That silenced all the suffering occurring in the land. I see my own reflection in the negative display A ghost inside the LCD who made it go away. [Outro: The piano slows to a halt. One final, discordant note hangs in the air.] I turned it off. But it’s still happening I turned it off. But they’re still coming At least the room is quiet. At least the room is... Quiet.
