Wage Slave
Breaking Chains: Unveiling the Struggle of Modern Existence
Lyrics
By the grind they live by the grind they die, grindstone headstone on an early grave
Individuals live and die under the influence of relentless work, symbolized by a grindstone headstone leading to an early grave.
A little freedom to pick their poison and fuck
People have a limited choice of freedom, but they engage in self-destructive behaviors.
Cull the weak and breed a new batch of slaves
The weak are eliminated, and a new generation of subservient individuals is bred.
Punch in punch out they mark the time as if it affords them some control
Workers follow a routine, marking time as if it gives them a sense of control over their lives.
Give the little peon a holiday so he can spend some time with the scraps of his soul
A meager holiday is granted, allowing workers to briefly reconnect with their depleted inner selves.
Ten thousand years of labor
A critique of thousands of years spent in labor.
Generational chains
Chains of oppression passed down through generations.
The ancient shackles polished
Historical restraints are still present, though now they are polished and take the form of wages.
Into a shiny wage
The concept of earning a living is portrayed as a shiny but confining wage.
Their backs and their hands and their hearts and their brains
All aspects of individuals—backs, hands, hearts, and brains—are exploited for labor.
Human resources to be drained
People are viewed as resources to be drained for productivity.
Give them a crumb of a piece of the pie and they'll give you thanks for a feast of pain
A small reward is given, and gratitude is expected despite enduring significant pain.
Complaints? Take some personal responsibility for your choices here in Hell
Discourages complaints and encourages personal responsibility for one's choices within the perceived hellish environment.
You are a free man, you have free will, so do what you want in your prison cell
Despite the illusion of freedom, individuals are confined within their metaphorical prison cells.
Did you not sign the contract?
Questions the legitimacy of the contractual agreement.
Is this here not your name?
Challenges the individual's identity tied to the oppressive system.
Wage slave
Emphasizes the theme of being enslaved by the wage system.
Wage slave
Reiteration of the term "wage slave" for emphasis.
Wage slave
Continued emphasis on the state of wage slavery.
Wage slave
Repetition of the term to underline the pervasive nature of wage slavery.
Something that I know
Introduction of a personal realization or knowledge.
Something like a ghost
A comparison to a ghost suggests a concealed or forgotten experience.
A hidden memory
References a hidden memory related to freedom.
What it's like to be free
Expresses a desire to remember what true freedom feels like.
They came up with a price
Our existence is assigned a monetary value.
Our bodies born to die
The inevitable mortality of the body contrasts with the potential for a meaningful life.
But we were born to live
Asserts the inherent right to live and contribute meaningfully.
We have so much to give
Highlights the untapped potential within individuals.
No price that they can pay
No amount of payment can justify the loss of personal freedom.
No threat of early grave
Rejects the notion of an early grave as a consequence of resistance.
No pretty word for slave
Rejects euphemisms and directly addresses the condition of slavery.
They can't contain our rage
The passion and resistance within individuals cannot be contained by the oppressive system.
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