Society Says

Society says
Hard work pays
Endless grey days spanning the horizon
Work with dead eyes and
Wait half dazed
For weekends lost in a chemical haze
Chasing the illusion of temporary escape

You have one chance
One life, one heart,
You play one time
You get one roll of the die in this game we survive
Will this boredom suffice?

Sick of the wait, of counting the days til I'm allowed to be
What I am meant to be
To have
What should belong to me
Freedom, choice, equality
You call this democracy?
This government is a dressed up sham
With an illusion of options
Where you can choose from a selection of versions
Of the same man
This society will not dictate who I am

A nation of martyrs chained to our desks
Resplendent in stress
Puffing our chests talking of money and mansions
Promotions and pensions
Each holding ourselves ransom and defending our boredom
'It's okay cos my next car will be truly awesome!'
We've had Stockholm syndrome for so many generations that we've forgotten what it's like to be a free nation
One not split into a million different factions
Unified, not destroyed by capitalist actions and made ignorant by false distractions

I'm this religion, that race
Defined by the shape of my face
Divided by the colour of my skin, by which box I've been placed in
Distracted by terrorists
But who do you think pulls their strings?
They say it's wrong to be an activist
I say it's worse not to stand up to this
Placated by fear of losing what we've been brainwashed into believing
Is worth more than the air we're breathing

So call me a hippie
It's no bad thing
Value time over money and love over possession
Always trust your intuition
Do what feels right regardless of state tuition
Morals over laws, follow kindness and compassion
Be happy in your small house and feel strong from following your passion
We all need just a little bit
There's no need for competition or greedy allocation
Take pride in just being a nice person
That's worth more than any highly paid position

Society says
Hard work pays
I say I want to look back and remember lazy sunny days
Laughing with friends and holding hands
Walking barefoot in the sand
Feeling afraid sometimes but still taking a stand
Travelling, volunteering, meeting inspirational souls
Learning to set my own inspirational goals
A tapestry of experiences
Sewn with courage, fear, hope, pride
Love that swells up overwhelmingly inside
But never boredom, never grey
There's more to life than Saturdays
So fuck what society says
You decide what pays.