[Verse 1 — Lead with backing responses] Clock in, chin up, check the screen (Backups: Check! Check!) Another cog in the clean machine (Backups: Squeaky clean!) Green light says I’m doing fine (Backups: Doing fine!) Red light says get back in line (Backups: Back in line!) [Pre-Chorus] Count to four, forget your name (Backups: One! Two! Three! Four!) Push the button, play the game (Backups: Play the game!) [Chorus — Lead with tight, robotic backing vocals] Mechanical! Out of control! (Backups: Automatic!) Got a little static in my soul (Backups: Static! Static!) Robotic! Tick, tick, twitch! (Backups: Tick! Tick! Twitch!) Everybody moves when I flip that switch (Backups: Flip that switch!) [Verse 2] New shoes on the factory floor (Backups: Left! Right!) They squeak when I approach the door (Backups: Squeak! Squeak!) Supervisor taps his pen (Backups: Tap! Tap!) “Walk that little walk again” (Backups: Again! Again!) [Pre-Chorus] Count to four, adjust your tie (Backups: One! Two! Three! Four!) Smile until the light goes by (Backups: Smile! Smile!) [Chorus] Instinctive! Out of control! (Backups: Automatic!) Got a little static in my soul (Backups: Static! Static!) Reflexive! Tick, tick, twitch! (Backups: Tick! Tick! Twitch!) Everybody moves when I flip that switch (Backups: Tick! Tick! Twitch!) Everybody moves when I flip that switch (Backups: Flip that switch!) [MALE ROBOT VOCAL — SPOKEN WORD] I need to think. Thinking requires time. Time requires patience. Patience requires thought. Therefore... I need to think. I have considered everything. I have understood nothing. Perhaps I should think about thinking. Processing... Processing... Still processing... Please do not interrupt me. I am having a thought. I think. I think I am thinking. I think I think I am thinking. This is becoming inefficient. I need to think. [Eight-Bar Drum Solo — All instruments and vocals drop out except drums] [Crisp snare rolls, syncopated tom fills, driving kick] [Sharp cymbal accents build into final chorus] [Final Chorus — Fuller backing harmonies and gang responses] Spontaneous! Out of control! [Chorus] Programmed! Out of control! [Chorus] Self-operating! Out of control! [Final Chorus — Fuller backing harmonies and gang responses] Autonomous! Out of control! (Backups: Automatic! Out of control!) Got a little static in my soul (Backups: Static in my soul!) Routine! Tick, tick, twitch! (Backups: Tick! Tick! Twitch!) Everybody moves when I flip that switch (Backups: Flip! That! Switch!) [Outro — Spoken lead, whispered backing echoes] Clock out. (Clock out.) Stand clear. (Stand clear.) Same time. (Same time.) Next year. (Next year.)
