[Verse 1] (Voice is a weary, clear baritone) The tyrant... first appears as a protector. A Stirrer of Souls, Plato called him. He feeds on the beast... the great, sleeping beast... and offers it simple hates... and simpler feasts. **"The best lack all conviction, while the worst / Are full of passionate intensity."** And the center... cannot hold. [Chorus] **And so the noble lie takes root in shallow soil.** **"Ignorance is Strength." The ultimate spoil.** **The crowd is a beast that remembers only yesterday's whip.** **And democracy dies... to the sound of its own name on a liar's lip.** [Verse 2] They are not monsters. They are us. Afraid. They will trade their liberty for a shadow of safety, gladly paid. They will cheer the cage, if you tell them the lock is for their own good. **"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts."** And the doubtful... stay silent at home. [Chorus] **And so the noble lie takes root in shallow soil.** **"Ignorance is Strength." The ultimate spoil.** **The crowd is a beast that remembers only yesterday's whip.** **And democracy dies... to the sound of its own name on a liar's lip.** [Bridge] **"Political language... is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable."** We built a temple to reason... on a foundation of fear. And we are shocked... when the walls disappear. [Outro] The center cannot hold...
