The New World
Reflections on a World Unraveling: A Musical Journey by Kevin Heider
Lyrics
Was it rage or relief or garish grief
Contemplation on emotions like anger, relief, or exaggerated grief
Callous and coarse in kind?
Wondering if those emotions were indifferent and harsh
An eye for an eye for an eye, I suppose
Considering a cycle of retaliation escalating to a harmful extent
And soon we’ll all be blind
Concern about everyone losing sight of reason due to vengeance
You give a man a gun, you tell him who to kill
Exploring the act of arming someone and instructing them whom to target
You teach him how to turn and shoot
Teaching violence and foreseeing its potential backlash
But someday, man, he’s gonna cut the strings
Predicting rebellion from someone once controlled by force
And turn that gun on you
Anticipating the reversal of aggression towards the instigator
And then you’re gonna say “He was mad all along!”
Expected reaction when the oppressed retaliate; blaming their mental state
And add him to your list of names
Adding the rebel to a list of victims, perpetuating the cycle of violence
And fight fire with fire with fire with fire
Responding aggressively, worsening the destructive situation
As the world goes up in flames
Describing a world consumed by conflict and chaos
While the kings and their squires stand in their squares
Depicting rulers and their followers in luxurious yet bloody surroundings
Soaked in black gold and blood
Leaders misleading powerful entities into destructive actions
Like lambs leading lions into the fray
Comparing weaker entities leading stronger ones into disaster
They’ve all gotten lost in the flood
Observing how everyone is overwhelmed by the chaos
And I say, Lord, take me down
Desiring purification or absolution
Down to the water
Repetition emphasizing the desire for spiritual cleansing
I said, Lord, take me down
-Down to the water
-It’s easy to admire progress
Viewing progress favorably from a privileged standpoint
When you’re on the side that lives
Recognizing the bias in appreciating advancements
But when innocence dies with every drone that flies
Noting the loss of innocence due to modern warfare techniques
Well, no one really wins
Stating the absence of winners in scenarios where innocence is lost
But you need someone to blame, so you pick a name
Shifting blame arbitrarily and controlling the narrative
And the truth is up to you
Highlighting the manipulation of truth for convenience
Their pulses rise while your numbers fall
Seeing power dynamics fluctuate amid casualties
So any name will do
Accepting any scapegoat due to declining influence
And this wild wind that you’re blowin’
Portraying the repetitive nature of conflicts and its consequences
Will blow right back again
-And then before you know it
-You’ve lost 5,000 men
-While the kings and their squires stand in their squares
Reiterating the image of rulers and followers in a controlling role
Like a pack of puppeteers
Ironically praising the manipulated decisions of the powerful
You’re the best decision
-They’ve made in 20 years
-And I say, Lord, take me down
Repeating the plea for spiritual redemption
Down to the water
-I said, Lord, take me down
-Down to the water
-I said, Lord, take me down
-Down to the water
-I said, Lord, take me down
-Down to the water
-I said, Lord, take me down
-Down to the water
-I said, Lord, take me down
-Down to the water
-When I was a child, I thought like a child
Recalling a shift in perspective and disillusionment
I believed you when you spoke
-It was a dark and stormy moment
-That morning when I woke
-To find the blood on the money
Noting the corruption and decay in the established system
Had turned the gold red
-And when it all disappears the system is dead
-But it’s just fool’s folly, this freedom charade
Dismissing the facade of freedom as nonsensical
I refuse to be the fool dancing in your parade
Refusing to participate in deceitful celebrations or propaganda
While the kings and their squires stand in their squares
Repeating the imagery of influential figures lost in chaos
Soaked in black gold and blood
-Like lambs leading lions into the fray
-They’ve all gotten lost in the flood
-And they’re taking everybody with them
Commenting on the spreading influence of destructive rhetoric
In the words that they spew
-24 hours a day, 7 days and nothing new
-If I’m going down, I’m going down
Asserting a commitment to maintain personal freedom despite adversity
Going down a free man
-I will not be a slave in your false promises land
-I said, Lord, take me down
Reiterating the plea for spiritual cleansing and redemption
Down to the water
-I said, Lord, take me down
-Down to the water
-I said, Lord, take me down
-Down to the water
-I said, Lord, take me down
-Down to the water
Final plea for purification or absolution
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