Meaning of a buck

[INTRO — spoken, intimate, no music at first] I once travelled eight hours back and forth three times to move all the possessions I had collected. [VERSE 1 — reflective, steady | male lead] Over the years my souvenirs Began to disappear The more I acquired And as I began to shift gears Still wanted what I desired And lost mementos brought tears Then as the snowball began to roll Lost three quarters of the whole And then even more, felt horrible Worked so hard to collect Some I still miss, regret It’s lost, but now free of the control Less than a full car load Now free to hit the road [VERSE 2 — confessional, slightly rising] Sure, lost books I hadn’t read Notebooks with words I bled But none will go when I’m dead I make some bread And somehow I’m led To believe these items Make me happy, but only tightens The shackles, so now it frightens Scared of the one eye that enlightens [PRE-CHORUS — half-spoken, restrained] Call it Cyclops Or Illuminati Fuck the— I wanna get naughty But perhaps let’s ice That till I can pull out some advice [CHORUS — blunt, emotional release] Why we all such selfish fucks? Don’t see we are why life sucks It’s not about luck You say you’re stuck What you stuck to? Fuck you Bitch, what you need is struck By the hooves of a deer So it becomes clear The real meaning of a buck [VERSE 3 — sharper, skeptical] Banks, currency, money flows Like water, no one ever knows The history or even where it goes It’s made boring, confusing, convoluted Just saying that word makes me feel stupid ’Cause I don’t tend to talk like a textbook Or get taken in by religious hooks Antichrist doesn’t have me shook Unlike the banks and all they took Banks or shoplifters — who’s the real crook? [PRE-CHORUS — dry, observant] Maybe look up to the castle May explain all the hassle Why there are so many assholes [CHORUS — louder, rougher delivery] Why we all such selfish fucks? Don’t see we are why life sucks It’s not about luck Or getting a nip and tuck Some breast implants too? Fuck you Bitch, what you need is struck By the hooves of a deer Right in the head So you’re almost dead So it becomes clear The real meaning THE REAL MEANING Of a buck [VERSE 4 — emotional, widening scope] Thing is, if we look inside Examine the pain, how we cried When we failed, how hard we tried When we jumped through hoops, still denied Watching Gaza be occupied Open your eyes and it won’t hide Once you see it, take pride In what you find In your heart and your mind What matters when the day ends Is it your Xbox or your friends? Is it more like material value tends To have power from the message it sends Does your cash bring you joy? Would it be enough to just have the toy? Can a girl fall in love without a boy? The system — it’s dissonant, fuck it annoys They beat the drum, we hear the noise Get a job, be faithful as employees While we’re distracted, everything destroys [FINAL CHORUS — slower, resolute, almost pleading] Can’t I throw out a call to action One where if we’re fine being a sitting duck We at least bring attention With an occasional cluck Better yet, stop giving a fuck Buying into a fucking buck Instead use some sense And find true independence [OUTRO — quiet, unresolved] …find true independence.