TITLE: Best of What's Left STYLE OF MUSIC: epic corporate power ballad, 80s arena rock, soaring earnest male vocal, gated reverb drums, wailing guitar solo, builds from tender to triumphant, motivational-seminar messiah energy LYRICS: [Intro] [lone piano, achingly sincere] This one's for Brad. He had... such a clean inbox. Brad ran the battalion like a Swiss watch in the rain Zero-defect, on-budget, never once complained He never had a wild idea, never had the need — The system never asked him to, it only asked him to succeed [Pre-Chorus] So they pinned him and they loved him, watched him climb without a flaw [Chorus] He's the best of what's left! (best of what's left!) The finest at the thing he'll never do again We took the guy who aced the inspection And asked him to be Eisenhower — oh, Brad, my friend Best of what's left — go on and pin the star He'll be everything we needed... yesterday Best of what's left [Verse 2] Now the map gets unfamiliar and we say "Brad, give us vision" And you watch the color leave him as he reaches for decisions He was built to run the machine, not to leave the rails behind — And it's not his fault, that's the tragedy, he's exactly what we designed [Bridge] [drums cut out, slow build] But here's the part that oughta keep you up at night — Every dreamer watching Brad get canned on a whim Does the math, just shrugs, and goes "...nah, I'm out" So the pool gets shallow, and the next Brad's even Bradder still [full power, key change] [Final Chorus] He's the BEST! (of what's left!) A four-star at the job he never had to do We optimized for "great at not failing" And one day the rails run out — then what'll Brad do? Best of what's left — salute the lonely star He'll follow every order all the way down Best... of what's... left
