[Intro]
[low strings rising]
Cameras on
Red tie, bright grin
Flashbulb halo
Let the show begin (ha)
[Verse 1]
Ladies, gentlemen
Patriots, my friends
I rehearsed this speech
But the script just bends
Taste that water
Strange little sting
Feels like fire
Crawling up my skin (mm)
Tongue got heavy
Truth got light
Guess we airing out
The books tonight (tonight)
We sell you fear
In a fancy font
We pick your dreams
Like a restaurant
Menu talking
Table’s rigged
Steak for donors
You get twigs
Blue, red, same suit cut
Same old check in the same old gut
We shake hands
Then wash ‘em quick
Smiling wide while the clocks run thick (ha!)
[Chorus]
Don’t trust us
We already sold your trust last year
Signed in ink made out of tears (yeah)
You line up, cheer
We toast upstairs
Don’t trust us
We gamble with the things you need
Bet your towns like lottery seeds
You pray, we plead
Then laugh and proceed
(don’t, don’t, don’t trust us)
[Verse 2]
You think your vote
Is a booming shout
We turned that storm
To a tiny cloud
Filtered through
Our friendly press
They sell you panic
We sell you "yes" (yes)
We stage outrage
Primetime brawls
Then trade jokes
In the marble halls
Your kids in debt
Our kids in yachts
You wave flags
We count stocks (count it)
We love your outrage
Clicks per minute
Your rage tank full
But the wheel spins empty
We promise change
Then change the map
Move the goalposts
Tilt the graph (ha-ha)
We read your mail
We read your face
Targeted hope
In a hopeless place
[Chorus]
Don’t trust us
We already sold your trust last year
Signed in ink made out of tears
You line up, cheer
We toast upstairs
Don’t trust us
We gamble with the things you need
Bet your towns like lottery seeds
You pray, we plead
Then laugh and proceed
(don’t, don’t, don’t trust us)
[Bridge]
[beat drops to low piano, hushed vocal]
Here’s a secret
Leaning close
We like you better
When you’re opposed
Split you clean
Down every line
Race, faith, flag
Any sign
You fight each other
We sip wine
You blame left
You blame right
We sign both sides
The same night (shh)
[Chorus]
Don’t trust us
We already sold your trust last year
Signed in ink made out of tears
You line up, cheer
We toast upstairs
Don’t trust us
We gamble with the things you need
Bet your towns like lottery seeds
You pray, we plead
Then laugh and proceed
Don’t trust us
Write it big on your bedroom wall
None of us plan to break the fall (ha)
You march, you call
We stall, we stall
Don’t trust us
Remember this when the spotlights shine
Polished smiles in a crooked line
You hope, we whine
Then laugh every time
(don’t, don’t, don’t trust us)