Poster Child Americana

Lost my innocence, lost my soul Lost my diligence, lost my self-control Never asked to do, always told Somewhere 'long the way, lost a hand to hold Molded, measured, and left alone Rip out your anger, replace it with languor Then levied, emptied, and turned to stone Rip out your passion, replace it with cash and disdain A sink, a stove, a home, a household pet A dollar that I never got to spend A roof, a room, a twin size bed A check just big enough to cover rent Gotta pay to park, gotta pay to breathe And after all, you lose your heart in the spider's web they weave A foe, a friend, a hypocrite Three ideologies that all conflict I need your help, but don't take mine I hate to say it, but I must admit I don't have the time, I don't have the patience Relationship built to exhaust, I can't recall the day I Lost my innocence, lost my soul Lost my diligence, lost my self-control Never asked to do, always told Somewhere 'long the way, lost a hand to hold Molded, measured, and left alone Rip out your anger, replace it with languor Then levied, emptied, and turned to stone Rip out your passion, replace it with cash and disdain Handshake and name My twenty twenties They start today I'm wide awake Yeah wide awake My twenty twenties They start today I sign my name I woke up first, to cold embrace The City desolate and soon erased But in the here and now I'm fine Make memories apathy will soon replace Guess I missed the train, guess I missed my chance The last express to paradise has left the station, left me Shaking like a leaf in the wind I throw the towel in Glamour, charm, and romance at a cost Where do I begin? I guess I Lost my innocence, lost my soul Lost my diligence, lost my self-control Never asked to do, always told Somewhere 'long the way, lost a hand to hold Molded, measured, and left alone Rip out your anger, replace it with languor Then levied, emptied, and turned to stone Rip out your passion, replace it with cash and disdain Handshake and name My twenty twenties They start today I'm wide awake Yeah wide awake My twenty twenties They start today I sign my name After proving you belong After having sold your song Looking back you realize You were the product all along Dance for companionship Dance for your class exam Dance for your chance to grow old and represent a brand Dance for your board and bed Dance for your medicine Dance for your ration of nectar from the pitcher plant Dance for your dignity Dance for your promised land Dance, monkey, dance for your chance to grab a winning hand Dance to the riverfront Your music's getting bland You danced away all your flair to join a cover band Bit by bit you auction off your focus Melancholic, misanthropic, made the big promotion Bit by bit you lose sight of your motives Burning all the bridges crossed, barely even noticed that I Lost my innocence, lost my soul Live in ignorance, loving all night long Burning alcohol through my veins Jaded, cynical, hopeful all the same No way back to the way you were You can't fight forever, it's a futile endeavor I pledge allegiance to customer So put on your smile, if just for a while Now mold yourself from the clay I hold Tenderness wasted, replace it with hatred Then emptied, frenzied and turned to stone Kill your compassion, replace it with cash and decay Handshake and name My twenty twenties They start today I'm wide awake Yeah wide awake My twenty twenties They start today Set the controls Heart of the sun We're burning brightly But we'll be gone before the song is even done More dopamine Next up to come My twenty twenties Had just begun And now they're done Bitter penthouse suite farewell, five-star hotel, it's over now Take the elevator downtown to Charlie's for the snack bar Just you wait, just you wait, everybody here drives a jaguar Wish I could, wish I would, wish I learned to play on that guitar Waiting on the world to come around I'm wide awake, but still I'm dreaming Finally, got some savings now, I've stashed away about a thousand Jack fell down and broke his crown, tell me, genius, what's the plan now? Just one accident away from insolvency, plain and simple Just one accident away, cough it up, you cheap, lazy cripple Admin said my healing hands are tied What kinda sick game are you playing? Tell me how to be content, I'll take your word, and all it meant One day you could be president, real go-getter, top one percent Ba-da-bing, ba-da-boom, roll the dice for lesser, for greater Give it up, give it up, everybody does sooner or later Running out of money, out of time I'm wide awake, but I stopped dreaming Gave up all but breathing Empty, but at least that stops the bleeding Highest bid can have my soul Now I fit that rounded hole Take me off the payroll Send me home Through your lips my name lastly uttered Ten meager years from the machine Poster Child Americana Chased the patriotic daydream As I spend my final dollar Trickle up to join the sea Ushered into the City gently Molded to product sold and bought Stomach full, but spirit empty Pointless race we always lost Though they may have promised plenty In the end we pay the cost