(Verse 1)
Flash-flash-burn go the cameras, darling
Sifting through the wreckage of the set
The vultures are picking at the haute couture
And betting on the next one to forget
The "toast of the town" is now "Exhibit A"
The insults we traded are now evidence
We built a castle on a fault line
And acted so surprised when it all went
(Pre-Chorus)
Oh, the finger-pointing
Has become the main event
They need a villain for the final scene
Guess who they nominated while I wasn't looking?
(Chorus)
THIS IS THE PAYBACK, THE BEAUTIFUL WRECKAGE!
We wanted a bonfire, we got an inferno!
We’re dancing waltzes on the shattered glass
We're the "Cautionary Tale" stuck in a time-loop
This smile's been foreclosed, the collateral's seized
But isn't the downfall what always pleased?
(Verse 2)
My "who's who" connection just hung up the phone
My name's a four-letter word in three-day-old news
The magic trick's over, the rabbit's exposed
It's just a dead thing in a box, and everybody "knew"
It's a fixation, a psychosis, a public domain
The "tragedy" they wanted is now entertainment
The hat is on fire, the show is a mess
But at least, my god, at least I'm not them
(Pre-Chorus)
Oh, they're all still hunting
For a place to stick the knife
The orchestra is gone, but the sirens are close
I'm the headline they'll forget by tomorrow
(Chorus)
THIS IS THE PAYBACK, THE BEAUTIFUL WRECKAGE!
We wanted a bonfire, we got an inferno!
We’re dancing waltzes on the shattered glass
We're the "Cautionary Tale" stuck in a time-loop
This smile's been foreclosed, the collateral's seized
But isn't the downfall what always pleased?
(Bridge)
Say my name, say my name
But say it like you mean it
I am the life of the party now that I've wrecked it
We're all just traitors in a story we sold
We're the rats who are cheering as the ship starts to roll
BURN THE EFFIGY! BURN THE EFFIGY!
I AM THE CRASH-TEST DUMMY FOR YOUR CURIOSITY!
I'M TAKING THE BOW FROM THE MEZZANINE!
(Chorus)
THIS IS THE PAYBACK, THE BEAUTIFUL WRECKAGE!
We wanted a bonfire, we got an inferno!
We’re dancing waltzes on the shattered glass
We're the "Cautionary Tale" stuck in a time-loop
This smile's been foreclosed, the collateral's seized
But isn't the downfall what always pleased?
(Outro)
What always pleased!
(A final, discordant violin note)
(A single, manic laugh hangs in the silence)
The show is over.
LyricDrone987
