[Verse 1] Left or right Red or blue Pick the one they hand to you Choose a team Learn the lines Wear the colors, pick a side Every screen will tell you plainly Who's to blame and who to fear Keep your eyes across the aisle Never ask who's sitting here [Pre-Chorus] Raise the signs Cue the lights Give the people somewhere to fight Keep them angry Keep it loud Just don't let them turn around [Chorus] Left or right, it's the same old game Different colors, different names Point across and place the blame While the house collects the change Red or blue, go choose your side Wave the flag and wear it proud Keep us fighting one another So we never look around Same old game Same old game Everybody knows their part Give us someone else to hate And you never face the crowd [Bright, Playful Violin Break] [Verse 2] Politics is pro wrestling Once you notice, it's absurd There's your babyface for cheering There's your heel to boo on cue One side gets to play the villain One gets righteous for the night Then they trade the belt and roles again And sell another fight Cut a promo Work the crowd Promise this one's different now Entrance music Flags unfurled Save the country— Buy the shirt [Cheerful Violin Flourish] [Pre-Chorus] Raise the signs Cue the lights Give the people somewhere to fight Keep them angry Keep it loud Just don't let them turn around [Chorus] Left or right, it's the same old game Different colors, different names Point across and place the blame While the house collects the change Red or blue, go choose your side Wave the flag and wear it proud Keep us fighting one another So we never look around Same old game Same old game Everybody knows their part Give us someone else to hate And you never face the crowd [Playful Glockenspiel and Violin Break] [Verse 3] Your neighbor isn't why you're tired He didn't set the price you pay She didn't write the fine print That keeps moving every day But it's easier to hate a stranger With the wrong sign in their yard Than the people buying influence From somewhere safely out of sight So pick a color Pick a villain Pick a reason you're betrayed Anything to keep you staring At the other team they made [Music Briefly Drops] [Crystle – Sweetly Spoken] And who's actually winning? Oh, you know... The very wealthy, very powerful little class of people I'm apparently not supposed to name. [Pause] For obvious reasons, of course. [Cheerful Glockenspiel] [Sudden Virtuosic Violin Run] [Bridge] Every four years, here's your menu Circle one and call it choice Then spend the next four screaming At somebody else's voice Red says blue will end the nation Blue says red will do the same Funny how the end keeps coming Right before election day [Music Drops] [Sweetly] But don't worry. This time is the most important one. [Violin Erupts] [Long Virtuosic Violin Solo] [Breakdown] Pick a side Pick a side Tell me who you're mad at tonight Left or right Red or blue They've got someone picked for you Point your finger Raise your voice Call the other half the problem Just whatever you do— Don't look up. [Brief Silence] [Final Chorus – Bright and Huge] Left or right, it's the same old game Different colors, different names Point across and place the blame While the house collects the change Red or blue, go choose your side Wave the flag and scream it loud Keep us fighting one another So we never turn around Same old game Same old game Everybody knows their part Face and heel can trade their places The audience stays where they are Same old game Same old game Keep the red and blue apart Give us someone else to blame And nobody leaves the yard [Extended, Ferocious Violin Solo Over Cheerful Twee Instrumentation] [Outro – Sugary Sweet] Left or right Red or blue Pick whichever Looks like you [Pause] See you in four years. [Cheerful Glockenspiel Chime] [Final Violin Flourish]
