[Intro ‐ a Deadpan Spoken-word:] "Service industry psychosis. The sound of smiling until your teeth crack. The sound of 'how are you today' When you are not okay... And never have been okay, The customer does not care— Because they want their receipt..." [Verse - building] Welcome to— *("REDACTED")* My name is— *("REDACTED")* —How are you today How are you How— ..Are You Today I am required to ask... —You are required to lie ...I am required to smile You are required to not notice— That my smile is the expression a corpse makes when rigor mortis sets in!.. [CHORUS / BREAKDOWN:] I WORK WITH THE PUBLIC THE PUBLIC IS A LIQUID THE PUBLIC SEEPS THROUGH DOORS THE PUBLIC STAINS THE CARPET I WORK WITH THE PUBLIC THE PUBLIC IS NOT OKAY THE PUBLIC WANTS MANAGER I AM THE MANAGER MY NAME IS— *("REDACTED!")* HOW CAN I HELP YOU DIE [VERSE] Do you have this in a different color Do you have this in a different size Do you have this in stock Do you have this in the back Do you have this in a dimension where I am not standing here Do you have this in a timeline where I chose literally any other profession Do you have this in a reality where I did not wake up this morning [CHORUS] I WORK WITH THE PUBLIC THE PUBLIC ASKS QUESTIONS THE QUESTIONS HAVE NO ANSWERS THE ANSWERS HAVE NO MEANING THE MEANING IS THE PAYCHECK THE PAYCHECK IS $7.25* *$7.25 IS NOT ENOUGH FOR THE PUBLIC $7.25 IS NOT ENOUGH FOR ME* *$7.25 IS NOT ENOUGH FOR THE COFFEE I DRINK TO SURVIVE THE PUBLIC [PRE-CHORUS:] Ma'am the policy is clearly posted Sir the return window has closed Yes I understand you drove forty minutes Yes I understand you spoke to someone on the phone Yes I understand you have been a customer since 1994 I have been an employee since Tuesday I have been a person since 1982 I am not sure which of these numbers matters more to you [CHORUS – THE DROP:] I WORK WITH THE PUBLIC THE PUBLIC IS INDIVIDUALS THE INDIVIDUALS ARE FINE THE INDIVIDUALS BECOME A CROWD THE CROWD BECOMES A BEAST THE BEAST HAS MANY FACES THE BEAST HAS ONE VOICE THE VOICE SAYS I WANT TO SPEAK TO YOUR SUPERVISOR THE SUPERVISOR IS ALSO THE BEAST THE SUPERVISOR IS ALSO ME THE SUPERVISOR HAS BEEN HERE SINCE 1994 THE SUPERVISOR DRINKS THE COFFEE THE SUPERVISOR HAS NO TEETH LEFT [BRIDGE & Breakdown] My break starts in four hours My break is fifteen minutes My break is a room with a vending machine My break is a microwave that smells like someone reheated fish in 1997 and the smell never left My break is me sitting in a folding chair looking at a wall My break is me not speaking to the public My break is me becoming a person again My break is me remembering that I have a name My break is me remembering that my name is not *"REDACTED!"* [FINAL CHORUS] I WORK WITH THE PUBLIC THE PUBLIC IS NOT THE PROBLEM THE PROBLEM IS ME THE PROBLEM IS I NEED MONEY THE PROBLEM IS MONEY IS PAPER THE PROBLEM IS PAPER IS TREES THE PROBLEM IS I AM SELLING DEAD TREES TO LIVING CORPSES THE PROBLEM IS I AM ALSO A LIVING CORPSE THE PROBLEM IS WE ARE ALL DEAD TREES THE PROBLEM IS THE FOREST IS BURNING THE PROBLEM IS I AM ASH THE PROBLEM IS I AM STILL SMILING [BRIDGE] Welcome to Hell My name is no longer REDACTED... I am ANONYMOUS And ANDROGYNOUS —Anonymous, Androgynous... Everyone just says—"REDACTED!" ...How am I today I am ash I am corpse I am forest fire I am the microwave fish smell from 1997 I am the folding chair I am the wall *("I am here!")* [outro: deadpan spoken word:] How are you today... How are you.. —How!
