[intro gallop and rise] [Verse 1 — low voice, clipped rhythm] They don’t need us blind. They need us tired. Too broke to quit. Too scared to get fired. We curse the bastards on the drive, Clock in and bite our tongues. They get another record year. We get another month. [Break — dry, spoken] The denial is massive. The public is passive. [Chorus — heavy, shouted] We know. We know. They know we fucking know. They don’t need us to believe it. They just need us to behave. [Verse 2 — bass forward, tightening] The plant poured poison in the creek. The county called it safe. The kids came home with burning skin. Their lawyer called it fake. They paid a fine, announced new jobs, Got thanked for sticking ’round. Now every Friday, half this town Cashes a check that keeps us bound. [Break — second voice underneath] The corruption is drastic In government plastic. [Verse 3 — stripped back, almost sung] My mother saved the good dishes For company that never came. Worked thirty years of double shifts. Her knees still count the days. She used to talk of seeing the coast. Now she says the drive’s too far. We found the maps she used to keep In the trunk of her old car. [Break — quiet, no harmony] Dreams in the casket, Covered and captive. [Verse 4 — full beat, bitter amusement] The anchor says we’re under siege. The sponsor sells us locks. The sheriff wants another jail. The panel nods along. They give our anger somewhere cheap To spend itself each night. We turn on people just as broke. The sponsors must be satisfied. [Break — all voices] Propaganda is classic And greed is fantastic. [Chorus — louder, less controlled] We know. We know. They know we fucking know. They don’t need us to believe it. They just need us to behave. [Bridge — beat stops; voice stays close] And I’m not brave. I need my pay. I’ve laughed at shit I should’ve fought. I’ve looked away. So when you say you’re scared, I know. I’ve got the same bills overdue. But if I’m waiting on you to speak, And you’re waiting on me too— [Drums return — building] Talk to me before the shift. Tell me what you’ve had to take. They’ve heard us swear a thousand times. Let’s give them something else to face. [Final chorus — crowd vocal] We know. We know. They know we fucking know. They don’t need us to believe it. They need us to behave. [Final recitation — one voice, no beat] The denial is massive. The public is passive. The corruption is drastic In government plastic. Dreams in the casket, Covered and captive. Propaganda is classic And greed is fantastic.
