And We're Live

# AND WE'RE LIVE! [Intro – ticking clock, low palm-muted riff, producer voice counting down] "In five... four... three..." [Verse 1 – tense, clipped, half-spoken like a voice in your earpiece] Coffee's cold In the control room. Monitors glow Like slot machines. "Kill the layoffs — Too depressing. Find me a dog On water skis." "The levee broke? That's a bummer. Does anybody Own the footage?" "No? Then it Never happened. Cue the anchor. Fix his face." [Pre-Chorus – drums building, breath before the mask goes on] Straighten the tie. Bury the wince. The red light blinks... And I haven't blinked since... [Chorus – huge, bright, plastic-smile energy] AND WE'RE LIVE! Smile like the world's not on fire! AND WE'RE LIVE! Read the prompter, feed the wire! Fear sells fast But cute sells faster — Cue the graphics! Roll the laughter! AND WE'RE LIIIIVE! [Verse 2 – same clipped earpiece energy, a little meaner] "Senator's mic Was still recording. Gold-plated gaffe — But he buys ad time." "Shelve it, sweetheart. Run the segment On the llama Loose on Ninth." "Factory closed? Four hundred families? Give it ten seconds Under sports." "And push the poll: 'Is cereal soup?' Engagement's up Forty-four." [Pre-Chorus] Powder the shine. Swallow the sigh. The red light blinks... And so do I... [Chorus] AND WE'RE LIVE! Smile like the world's not on fire! AND WE'RE LIVE! Read the prompter, feed the wire! Truth's in the basement, Filed under "Later" — Cue the weather girl! Thank the sponsor! AND WE'RE LIIIIVE! [Guitar Solo – slick and showy, like a news theme that learned to shred] [Bridge – everything drops out, one clean guitar, quiet and dead honest] The satellite hiccuped. The prompter went black. Thirty seconds of dead air... And no script to hide behind. I looked down the lens At a million living rooms... And I swear to God I almost told the truth. [Producer voice, panicked whisper:] "We're back in three... two..." [Final Chorus – biggest, mask slammed back on, screamed] AND WE'RE LIIIIVE! Smile like the world's not on fire! AND WE'RE LIVE! Sell the panic, bill it higher! If it bleeds it leads — Unless it costs us! Cue the confetti! Nobody watch us THINK! AND WE'RE LIIIIIIIVE! [Outro – band cuts to a single ticking clock, anchor voice, warm and dead inside] "That's our show. Good night... Good luck... Good ratings." [click — static]