brad muirhead music

Climate is getting hotter Still pollutin’ our water Forests are burning Social unrest is churning.

Wanna make a difference? better get resolved Gotta make your voice heard - don't be uninvolved It don’t matter if you’re shootin’ way off the mark It’s no matter if you’re groping blindly in the dark Just do somthin’! Anythin' is better than not doin' nuthin'!

Social movers and shakers True believers and fakers On the streets, demanding No-one showin’ understanding.

Lots of people shoutin’ at each other all the time More don’t want to listen - they ain’t so inclined They’re too busy just existin’ tryin’ to get ahead Payin’ rent & raisin’ children livin’ in the red… And so it goes!... on & on & on & on...

Left-wing protests and occupations Sophomoric organizations Right-wing marches and convoys Freedom fighters and proud boys…

All tellin’ everybody the way things outta go Refusing to accept they might not be the ones who know I’m too tired to notice them just tryin’ to make some bread Livin’ just for workin’ guess I’ll sleep when I’m dead - yeah! Almost there! Workin' on it!

So many people sayin’ everything all the time they all sound the same I can’t tell the difference no more too much to think about I can’t sleep the revolving door keeps spinnin’ round & round & round & round my brain hurts!

Instant misinformation Fuels the situation Don’t know what the actual facts are But someone took something too far.

We need a public inquiry into who did the crime To tell us what we already know on the taxpayers dime It’s more important than makin' sure we keep people fed It’s less important that some folks have no place to lay their head - We gotta know what we wanna know!

The lyin’ and the cheatin’ Reaching for prestige and power The babblin’ and the bleatin’ Distracts us while they climb their ivory tower.

Controlling greedy people always will manipulate The chaos and confusion and the human state Everybody wants their own version of everything Hero-worship leads into extremes to which we cling Deliver unto to me the promised land I want right now Or watch my public tantrum bring it all down to the ground!

Fingers pointin’ every which way the accusations fly There is always someone else to blame and you know why Public shaming nonconformance as if it’s a sin Online lynch mobs you better just watch out if you’re not in It’s so easy to fall into the self-serving mental state That sets the trap you can’t escape becoming what you say you hate!

This ain’t workin’ this roundabout of promises & fear We are hurtin’ our faith in everything that we hold dear If we go on the way we are these days I am afraid We’re gonna have to all sleep in the burning bed we made, yow!

So many people doin’ everything all the time I can’t keep track of who is who or what no more I must escape the revolving door the only thing that I can do is speak my mind and make some art and song and hope that I can get along to knowing I can talk to you and hope that I can see it through to knowing I can talk to you is hope that I can see it through to knowing I can talk to youis hope that I can see it through to knowing I can talk to you.

The two most dangerous words, are the words “I know”. They say “you don’t need to think,” because I’m tellin’ you. Believe you me, I know because it’s true.

I think I’d rather think than be dumb enough to think I know. I know not knowing can be scary but imagined truth is worse. It helps you get along but ends up as a curse.

When a noble cause becomes a movement the end is near. And the wrangling to steer the bandwagon steals the show. Then that little truck becomes a runaway train don’t you know.

I’ll follow anyone who tells me what I want to hear. Safe and warm within the fold I feel the rapture overflow. And I don’t think, because I think I know.

Social justice populism and self-righteous intolerance rule. They say don’t you dare to question our wisdom there is no doubt. Because we think we know what we’re talkin’ about. 

Now some say this: I know that God is there - the old book tells me so. Yes I have seen his love now hear me sing and shout. And I think I know what I’m talkin’ about.

Now others say this: I know there ain’t no God - the new books tell me so. The science has come down - it’s proven in and out. And I think they know what they’re talkin’ about.

Now I say this: I believe we all believe, but y’all think you own the truth. One-track tunnel-vision, brings on conceptual drought. I don’t think any of you knows what you’re talkin’ about.

Well, I know that I don’t know what it’s all about. Yet I ain’t afraid of the unknown - I get to learn and grow. But I do surely know - I would rather explore than follow.

One more thing I got to say, that you ought to know. Believing isn’t knowing, don’t have to be no sleuth. Knowing is nuthin’ more than self-assured belief that’s the truth.

Someone speaking with authority just does not make it so. It lure’s you into a part in someone else’s puppet show. Believe you me, it’s true because I know.

So follow me.

No - follow me No - me No - me No - me No - me

No!!! Me-me-me-me-me-me-me!!!!!

And don’t you never think because you think you know. No don’t you never think because you think you know.

We are right - They are wrong We see the light  - They don’t belong We hold the truth - They will not see We know the way - They cannot be We hate they - They hate we.

We are strong - They claim free will We go on - They all stand still We understand - They interfere We sing a song - They persevere We are one - They come not near.

Want! Need! Live! Make! Love! I am you - You are me Eat! Love! Give! Take! Live! We are they - They are we.

We say yes - They say go We say Stop - They say no We pile on - They can squirm We are all-in - They go long-term We cry foul! - They stand firm.

We are righteous - They are Evil We stand tall - They crawl downhill We are love - They know not how We rest assured - They disavow We have no fear - They feel it now.

Fight! The! Left! Right! Here! I am you - You are me Right! Left! Fight! The! Fear! We are they - They are we.

Want! Need! Live! Make! Love! I am you - You are me Eat! Love! Give! Take! Live! We are they - They are we.

I am you - You are me We are they - They are we. We are they - They are we. We are they - They are we.

etc.

My people Don’t only look like me You don’t get to be My people Just because you think I look like you Even if I do.

My people Don’t always think like me But they get to to be My people Because they make me want them to By being true.

My people Don’t all act like me But I get to be Their people Because I make them want me to Somehow I do.

My people Don’t all talk like me They don’t have to be like people Who never disagree with you And they’re going to.

My People Don’t all believe the same as me They don’t always see How people Can feel some of the things they do But accept it ‘cuz they do it too.

My people Are part of the diversity If you want to be My people That is what you have to do Maybe think it through.

But not because I look like you.

You and you and you and me can all think for ourselves, We imagine and design or just create.   And when we band together we we do bigger better things, Picturing the future that awaits.   We can predict our actions end result for good or bad or worse And then decide to proceed or hesitate.

We can   accommodate, accumulate, annihilate, appreciate, appropriate & arbitrate, articulate, assimilate & bifurcate & captivate & celebrate, collaborate, commemorate, communicate & concentrate, congratulate...

Yes we will   congregate, contaminate & contemplate & decorate & dedicate & demonstrate & desecrate & deviate, discriminate, domesticate & dominate & educate & elevate, eliminate, elucidate & emanate.

Things we do with what we have from wonderful to awful   Reveal the limitations of our state.   We have not evolved up to a higher plane of species thought Merely that of clever primate.   We say we know what we’re doing trust me I won’t steer you wrong No trepidation - tally ho! accelerate.

We will   emancipate & emulate, eradicate & escalate, evaluate, exaggerate, exasperate, exhilarate, exonerate, expropriate, extenuate, exterminate, facilitate & fabricate & fascinate & formulate...

And then we’ll   fornicate & generate & graduate, hallucinate, humiliate, hypothecate & illustrate & imitate, impersonate & implicate, incarcerate, incorporate, incriminate, indoctrinate & infiltrate, infuriate

Look to see the road ahead yes you and I we can -   Individual foresight carries weight.   But all of us together just can’t seem to understand -   Who and what we are might seal our fate.   We wait until the existential threat is in our face,   Then we react - we don’t plan we navigate.

But we   ingratiate, initiate & innovate & integrate, intimidate & irritate & isolate & jubilate & legislate & liberate & litigate, manipulate & mediate & medicate, miscalculate & mitigate...

We even   moderate & motivate & mutilate & nauseate, negotiate & nominate, obliterate & orchestrate & overstate, participate & penetrate & perpetrate, perpetuate, procrastinate & procreate, proliferate.

Oh yeah - and quantitate… can’t forget how much we like to count things eh?

Last we’ll   reciprocate, recriminate & regulate, rejuvenate & resonate, retaliate & segregate, sophisticate & speculate & stimulate & subjugate & syncopate & titillate & tolerate & vegitate & vindicate.

Unfortunately, I can't think of any action words that end with "ate" that also start with X, Y or Z - sorry…

Onward now the road ahead for good or bad or worse,   Collective action is its’ own mandate. We won’t blink or think because there is no time to ruminate, The opportunity to strike just will not wait. Yes we’ll go until a true extinction threat is in our face -   And activate a half-assed plan to compensate…   And even then we only will re-calibrate.   That's what we do, we improvise and navigate.

Or Not.

If you object to someone else proclaiming who or what you are, But do the same without a thought, well now isn’t that bizarre? You are what you hate.

If you wring your hands and cry “poor me!” when wrongfully accused, But condemn another when unproved innuendo is misused, You are what you hate.

If someone hurts someone you love with malice aforethought, And you take revenge because you want to dish out what you got, You are what you hate.

If you look down your nose at those who are less fortunate than you, Because some snooty "higher-ups" look at you that way too, You are what you hate.      

If someone treats you worse than dirt because of your ethnicity, And you throw that same ugly shit right back at them, someone else or me, You are what you hate.

If gender, age, sexual or religious bias is the infringement that you defy, But when challenged allow or cause reverse injustice to apply, You are what you hate.

If you condescend to those who have not figured it all out, And then shout down anybody who dares to call out what you flout, You are what you hate.

If you don’t like bein’ identified by the colour of your hide, But identify others by the so-called colour of the pelt in which they abide, You are what you hate.

If you face injustice, untruth and lies or pure malevolence, Then push back the same ol' BS with a “they did it first” stance, You are what you hate.

If you think your skin colour is the best maybe don’t be such a clown, ‘Cuz there ain’t no yellow, red, black or white, No! There is only brown.

Yeah, we are all some shade of brown, and if you can’t relate, I’m so sorry if the song offends you - it's such a pity if it upends you, But you got to choose, you can exacerbate, Or don’t be what you hate.