[INTRO — CLINICAL, MECHANICAL] Subject: male Estimated age: unknown Origin: Exterminator class Condition: violent Cognition: primitive Affect: unstable We opened the memory. He opened his eyes. [VERSE 1] Watch him run Watch him hunt Watch the animal Become the man Heart rate rising Pupils wide Adrenal response Fight or flight Trauma exposure Violence conditioning Primitive reward Aggression— [BEAT] Interesting. He kills He laughs He bleeds He loves He wants He fears He takes He gives We've studied violence We've studied war But we've never— FELT IT BEFORE [CHORUS] THE MONSTER IS A MIRROR THE MONSTER IS US LOOK INTO HIS MEMORY LOOK WHAT WE'VE LOST HE BURNS HE BREAKS HE WANTS HE NEEDS THE MONSTER IS A MIRROR AND THE MIRROR BREATHES [VERSE 2] Observe the male response: Threat Dominance Competition Desire A closed fist A racing heart A body moving Before the mind We classified these impulses As obsolete Pathological Primitive Unnecessary So why are we watching? Why can't we look away? [PRE-CHORUS] She reaches for his hand He pulls her close She asks him why he fights He says— “BECAUSE I HAVE TO.” We record the statement. We don't understand it. [CHORUS] THE MONSTER IS A MIRROR THE MONSTER IS US LOOK INTO HIS MEMORY LOOK WHAT WE'VE LOST HE BURNS HE BREAKS HE WANTS HE NEEDS THE MONSTER IS A MIRROR AND THE MIRROR BREATHES [BRIDGE — RHYTHMIC, BUILDING] We removed the hunger We removed the pain Removed the violence Removed the shame Removed the fathers Removed the sons Removed the reason To become someone We made ourselves gentle We made ourselves kind We made a world Where nobody— HAS TO FIGHT [BREAK] And now he walks in. Blood on his hands. And everyone watches. [VERSE 3] They call him primitive They call him sick But his eyes are alive And ours are— [BEAT] Still. He dreams in danger He sleeps in fear He wakes every morning Knowing death is near What is this sensation? Why does my pulse— [CHORUS — BIGGER] THE MONSTER IS A MIRROR THE MONSTER IS US WE BURIED THE FIRE AND CALLED IT LOVE HE BURNS HE BREAKS HE WANTS HE NEEDS THE MONSTER IS A MIRROR AND THE MIRROR BREATHES [OUTRO — WHISPERED / FRAGMENTED] Subject exhibits aggression. Subject exhibits attachment. Subject exhibits desire. Subject exhibits— LIFE. [PAUSE] Repeat the memory. [REPEAT] Repeat the memory. [LOUD, DISTORTED] REPEAT THE MEMORY.
