[Intro]
Static on the screen again
Same suit, same practiced grin
Saying it's all fine, "my friend"
But the smell of fear creeps in
[Verse 1]
They counting votes in a backroom fog
Ink on the fingers, blood on the log
Smiles in the press, then the masks come off
I can see the script in the telepromp cough
They sell calm storms in a bottle, cheap
Tell us "go back home, try to get some sleep"
But the numbers don't match what the coffins say
And the cameras cut out when we look their way (yeah)
Gold in the teeth, ash in the lungs
Champagne stains where the papers were hung
Every handshake dripping with a quiet threat
Every promise signed with another man's debt
[Chorus]
I see through the lies you dress in law
Silk on the surface, rust in the jaw
You preach that order while you sharpen claws
We ain't your cattle and we know the cause
I see through the smoke in the parliament hall
Whispers in the hallway, writing on the wall
You built that palace on a graveyard crawl
I see through it all
I see through it all (yeah)
[Verse 2]
Watchdog sleeping with the wolves in charge
Every "sorry" empty as the marble arch
You print new truth on the morning page
By the time we read, you done changed the cage
You call us "kids" when we raise our voice
But you afraid 'cause we see through choice
Ballots shaped like a dead-end road
Every arrow pointing to the same old code
You buy new flags when the old ones burn
Paint fresh saints where the devils turn
But the halo slips when the lights get dim
And the cracks in the glass let the shadows in
[Bridge]
Who counts the votes when the doors all lock?
Who guards the guards at the ticking clock?
Who clips the wires on the hidden mic?
Who judges judges when they strike at night? (yeah)
[Chorus]
I see through the lies you dress in law
Silk on the surface, rust in the jaw
You preach that order while you sharpen claws
We ain't your cattle and we know the cause
I see through the smoke in the parliament hall
Whispers in the hallway, writing on the wall
You built that palace on a graveyard crawl
I see through it all
I see through it all (hey)