You turn the screws
You tear down the bridge
Flimsy as it is, it's business like
You shake my hand
You break up the band
Flimsy as it is, it's open mic punk rock
Red white and blue
Yeah, you twist the knife then go home to kiss your wife
A bigger better slice is what you'd like
You kick the sand, you get the upper hand
You sell it to Japan
It's natural punk rock
Red white and blue
You turn the screws
It's what you choose to do
You think that I
Must turn them too
You think that I must be so satisfied
I stay inside
I wonder why
And the cement mixer gets it all ready
One good turn at a time
They're pouring it slowly and steady
You're showing me where I can sign
What I can expect to find
But how can you say you'll be happy
When you turn the screws
You turn the screws
It's what you choose to do
You turn the screws
It's what you choose to do
You think that I must turn them, too
You turn the screws
It's what you choose to do
You turn the screws
It's what you choose to do
You tear down the bridge
Flimsy as it is, it's business like
You shake my hand
You break up the band
Flimsy as it is, it's open mic punk rock
Red white and blue
Yeah, you twist the knife then go home to kiss your wife
A bigger better slice is what you'd like
You kick the sand, you get the upper hand
You sell it to Japan
It's natural punk rock
Red white and blue
You turn the screws
It's what you choose to do
You think that I
Must turn them too
You think that I must be so satisfied
I stay inside
I wonder why
And the cement mixer gets it all ready
One good turn at a time
They're pouring it slowly and steady
You're showing me where I can sign
What I can expect to find
But how can you say you'll be happy
When you turn the screws
You turn the screws
It's what you choose to do
You turn the screws
It's what you choose to do
You think that I must turn them, too
You turn the screws
It's what you choose to do
You turn the screws
It's what you choose to do
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The song then goes on the describe the narrator simply saying "You control everything because you have money, and you must think I do too. Except I'm inside really thinking about it."
"Its the open mic, punk rock, red white and blue."
It the all American dream that anyone can get famous. Just get up and scream simple words
Tearing down the bridge could be a multiple reference lyric- The way business destroys things held together seemingly flimsy in the context of business- such as a band. Also the bridge of a song- wrecking the creativity of artists.
twisting the knife then going home to kiss your wife can mean how its just business at the end of the day for them. such as the way selling america out in many ways in merely business to the elite businessmen and politicians of every country but especially "capitalist" elite who don't desire free market but control. Red, white and blue- many Cake songs call out the corporate agenda of America.
Selling it to japan is selling the product of business to those who don't care about the politics and only see the plastic surface. Followed by one liners "its natural" "punk rock" "red white and blue" foreigners and businessmen often use simple small sentences during a sales pitch to create a theme for what they're selling or because they simply don't know exactly what it is.
"You think that I, must turn them too" Refers to how opportunists believe that everyone is on their "come up" and trying to get a "bigger better slice" at all costs regardless of the price.
"You think that I must be so satisfied" could refer to how the opportunist views those they see as not taking the biggest slice as suckers, well off, or content with some thing else- mainly suckers though.
"I stay inside I wonder why" could refer to the feeling of knowing youre getting played, maybe you don't play dirty games for moral reasons, yet you see how easy it is to get that slice and play their game.