[Intro] Sometimes you go through life judging other people for their lack of ambition, while ignoring the struggles they face from circumstances beyond their control —a system that has failed them, or a mind not wired for the conformity society demands. [Verse 1] They tell the mind that thinks askew, It fell by its own hand, A weight of fault that's strictly due, You failed to understand. They spin a tale of quiet blame, That you alone have spun, To shield the world from any shame, For battles you've not won. [Pre-Chorus] So bow your head and bear the cost, The choice was yours to make; For every light that you have lost, Was earned by your mistake. [Chorus] (The hardest toll) (The hardest toll) The hardest toll is that they convince you that the fault is in your character (a fault in your character) that your fate is proof of moral failure and don't deserve the good that comes to you (you are a moral failure, deserving punishment, deserving no joy) You have to conform. You have to comply. You have to get better (conform, comply, get better) You have to stop being a burden, take your meds, become productive, or get out. (be productive or get out) [Verse 2] The world demands a steady beat, A march you cannot keep; But find the rhythm in your feet, While others drift in sleep. You need not break to fit the mold, But bend it to your will; With secrets that your senses hold, You'll bend the iron, still. [Pre-Chorus] So hack the path through noise and strife, To serve both heart and kin; And carve a custom, balanced life, Where all your joys can win. [Chorus] (The hardest toll) The hardest toll is that they convince you that the fault is in your character (a fault in your character) that your fate is proof of moral failure and don't deserve the good that comes to you (you are a moral failure, deserving punishment, deserving no joy) You have to conform. You have to comply. You have to get better (conform, comply, get better) You have to stop being a burden, take your meds, become productive, or get out. (be productive or get out) [Bridge] The goal is not to wear a mask, Or shrink within a narrow frame, But rise to meet a greater task And give your hidden spark a name. To seek the self you truly hold, And let your honest spirit bloom, To help the world turn brave and bold, And light the corners of the room. [Final Chorus] The hardest toll is that they convince you that the fault is in your character (a fault in your character) that your fate is proof of moral failure and don't deserve the good that comes to you (you are a moral failure, deserving punishment, deserving no joy) (conform, comply, get better) (be productive or get out) (or get out) [Outro] or resist, resist, resist you deserve better than society told you you deserve.
