Product

I’m afraid this city’s turned us into productivity machines
Products of forces far above and beyond you and me
A sunset isn’t beautiful unless it’s caught on film
And no one cares about your music unless other people do
It’s this title wave of handshakes and ‘hello, how-are-you’s
That makes it all feel so normal, disguising the truth
That people here are here to get what they want to get out of it
And if you’re not an asset then you’re pretty much irrelevant

No one lives up to the standard, that’s what keeps us at bay
Always two inches to short to ride this ride
Standing in line with an equals-sign over your head
Quantifying your worth, monetizing your hurt, capitalizing the earth
And every aspect of life pervades and perverts and distills and distorts and desserts
We revert to creatures divided and conquered
Consumers, producers and dreamers who wander the street
Alone in the middle of the night trying to find inspiration in the corners of life
In a merciless system whose power derives
From people who prosper off powerful lies
Like function is value and money is time
That rhyme is the reason and x equals y but why?

Make your statement in the name of what you love
If you don’t realize what it’s worth then you will never be enough
This place has shaped me but it’s not where I am from
I’m only passing through just like everyone

I know it’s easy to play the victim, blame the system, be a symptom
But this sickness has to be stopped at the source
Each one of us will reinforce the rule until we find a way to rise above
It’s why adults say they can’t sing while children dance like they’re in love
With every color in the solar system
Circulating blood into the hearts of the unshaken
Shining light on what we’ve lost
The cost of growing old and staying in control means never letting go
Or giving life the chance to change your mind and move your soul
Every judgment is self-judgment, thus we are what we despise
And we will stay that way until we find the love to empathize

Make your statement in the name of what you love
If you don’t realize what it’s worth then you will never be enough
This place has shaped me but it’s not where I am from
I’m only passing through just like everyone