[Intro] [Thick vinyl crackle and a slow, mourning cello melody] [Male Vocal - Low, whispered, close to the mic] Breathe in the filtered air. Exhale the conscience. Pay the fee at the door. [Verse 1] [A sluggish, swaggering drum break drops in, 85 bpm] [Male Vocal - Cool, rhythmic, cynical] You buy the silence by the hour in a sanitized room A premium retreat from the approaching doom Sitting on a cushion made of ethically sourced thread Ignoring all the panic and the sirens overhead The prophet on the stage has a very soothing tone He sells a temporary peace that you can never own He tells you to align with the energy of light While the city falls apart in the middle of the night You sip the alkaline water, close your eyes and pretend That paying for enlightenment will justify the end. [Chorus] [Deep sub-bass swells, the cello line weaves through the beat] [Female Vocal - Soaring, ethereal wail] He is a hollow guru, selling you the ghost! A parasite surviving on the desperation of the host! You seek a sanctuary, trying to forget! But you are only adding to the spiritual debt! (Breathe it out) The empty promises he made. (Breathe it out) The creeping shadows in the shade. [Verse 2] [Beat strips back to just the kick drum and cello] [Male Vocal - Languid, authoritative, sharp] He charges for the mantra, he monetizes zen And promises a sanctuary from the world of men But out on the street, the foundation starts to crack A heavy consequence that is inevitably coming back You cannot buy a barrier against the rising tide And meditation isn't going to give you a place to hide The incense is burning to cover up the scent Of every single dollar that the congregation spent He feeds upon the panic of a comfortable class Watching the collapse through a filtered pane of glass. [Chorus] [Full instrumental density returns, massive and echoing] [Female Vocal - Soaring, ethereal wail] He is a hollow guru, selling you the ghost! A parasite surviving on the desperation of the host! You seek a sanctuary, trying to forget! But you are only adding to the spiritual debt! (Breathe it out) The empty promises he made. (Breathe it out) The creeping shadows in the shade. [Bridge] [Music drops to just the vinyl crackle and a solitary cello note] [Male and Female vocals alternate] [Male] A transaction of the soul. [Female] (A ledger painted black) [Male] He takes the heavy toll. [Female] (You never get it back) [Both] The enlightenment is just an illusion of control. [Chorus] [The beat slams back in for a final, massive groove] [Female Vocal - Belting with absolute, unrestrained sorrow] He is a hollow guru, selling you the ghost! A parasite surviving on the desperation of the host! You seek a sanctuary, trying to forget! But you are only adding to the spiritual debt! (Breathe it out) The empty promises he made. (Breathe it out) The creeping shadows in the shade. [Outro] [Instruments drop out one by one until only the cello remains] [Silence]
