The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
(With the perfect hair
And the perfect wife
And the perfect kids
And the perfect life
I will finally be somebody...)
(Let's play born-again American, resistance is the game!)
Two pigs wearing suits
Brought the news
That I'm wanted by the bank
They say the rent is due
Caesar's onto you
So you better remember your place
Then they outsourced my job
And gave a raise to my boss
Bailed out the banks
But billed me for the loss
They say we must submit
And be one with the Machine
Because the Kingdom of Fear
Needs compliance to succeed
So waterboard the kids for fun
It's all the rage
And play born-again American
Resistance is the game
SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE
Work, buy, consume, die
SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE
Happy little slaves for minimum wage
(The revolution will be monetized
And streamed live via renegade WiFi)
The clinic said I'm sick
Toxic..... and impure
But there isn't any cure
For the poor or uninsured
So we live our digital lives
On multiple screens
And we forget that
The blood of the workers
Grease the machines
In the Psalm of the Fiends
Love ...... discriminates
While the fat cats feed the rats
Their daily dose of cake
So waterboard the kids for fun
It's all the rage
And play born-again American
Resistance is the game
SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE
Work, buy, consume, die
SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE
Happy little slaves for minimum wage
SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE
Work, buy, consume, die
SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE
Haters, betrayers, liars, and thieves
(America)
She sold her soul
For designer clothes
For the perfect lips
And the perfect nose
The winner in the end
Always owns the most
Reality tv told her so!
(Mammonites)
Money changer!
Greedy bankers!
This is the Peoples House!
My minister has a sinister plan
To save my soul with a credit card scam
Exploitation is contagious
For the selfish & self-inflated
Start a war, use the poor,
Watch our profits soar & soar
We've become a nation of wolves
Ruled by sheep
Owned by swine
Overfed & put to sleep
And while the media's elite
Decrees what to think
I am wide awake
On the edge
And on the brink
So when Atlas shrugs
And The Fountainhead bleeds
And when Walstreet Apostles
Preach a gospel of greed
I'll renounce the fame of this gluttonous age
And be a Born-again American
Resistance is to blame!
SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE
Work, buy, consume, die
SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE
Haters, betrayers, liars, and thieves
SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE
A nation of wolves - ruled by sheep!
Exploitation is contagious
Exploitation is contagious
Exploitation is contagious
Exploitation............
And the perfect wife
And the perfect kids
And the perfect life
I will finally be somebody...)
(Let's play born-again American, resistance is the game!)
Two pigs wearing suits
Brought the news
That I'm wanted by the bank
They say the rent is due
Caesar's onto you
So you better remember your place
Then they outsourced my job
And gave a raise to my boss
Bailed out the banks
But billed me for the loss
They say we must submit
And be one with the Machine
Because the Kingdom of Fear
Needs compliance to succeed
So waterboard the kids for fun
It's all the rage
And play born-again American
Resistance is the game
SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE
Work, buy, consume, die
SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE
Happy little slaves for minimum wage
(The revolution will be monetized
And streamed live via renegade WiFi)
The clinic said I'm sick
Toxic..... and impure
But there isn't any cure
For the poor or uninsured
So we live our digital lives
On multiple screens
And we forget that
The blood of the workers
Grease the machines
In the Psalm of the Fiends
Love ...... discriminates
While the fat cats feed the rats
Their daily dose of cake
So waterboard the kids for fun
It's all the rage
And play born-again American
Resistance is the game
SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE
Work, buy, consume, die
SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE
Happy little slaves for minimum wage
SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE
Work, buy, consume, die
SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE
Haters, betrayers, liars, and thieves
(America)
She sold her soul
For designer clothes
For the perfect lips
And the perfect nose
The winner in the end
Always owns the most
Reality tv told her so!
(Mammonites)
Money changer!
Greedy bankers!
This is the Peoples House!
My minister has a sinister plan
To save my soul with a credit card scam
Exploitation is contagious
For the selfish & self-inflated
Start a war, use the poor,
Watch our profits soar & soar
We've become a nation of wolves
Ruled by sheep
Owned by swine
Overfed & put to sleep
And while the media's elite
Decrees what to think
I am wide awake
On the edge
And on the brink
So when Atlas shrugs
And The Fountainhead bleeds
And when Walstreet Apostles
Preach a gospel of greed
I'll renounce the fame of this gluttonous age
And be a Born-again American
Resistance is to blame!
SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE
Work, buy, consume, die
SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE
Haters, betrayers, liars, and thieves
SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE
A nation of wolves - ruled by sheep!
Exploitation is contagious
Exploitation is contagious
Exploitation is contagious
Exploitation............
Lyrics submitted by 11milleran
Smash the Control Machine Lyrics as written by Mark Bistany Jason Mcguire
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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i completely disagree. I will be out buying the cd august 18th. you obviously dont understand the lyrics.
no, I understand the lyrics (and agree with a lot of it). I just don't think they're that good, they could be a lot tighter. I also feel like they're not being sung with any emotion. I realize Otep's always done the 'rap-rock' thing on other songs, and it usually works, but here it just sounds like she's lacking any feeling and driving force behind it. Sorry. I do like 'Rise Rebel Resist' though, so maybe.
she is talking bout how the goverment is controling...and try to take away our freedom
and she is sings/writes what she wants...
i so support Otep
Two minor things: I swear she's saying "their dose of daily cake" instead of "their daily dose of cake". And the "happy little slaves" line in the last chorus should be "haters, betrayers, liars and thieves". :)
Wicked song
I really don't like this... it sounds like she just came up with a bunch of somewhat catchy, halfhearted one- and two-liners and threw them together.
Her voice kinds sounds like shit now after almost ten years of screaming. You can hear how different it sounds from the spoken parts of Sevas Tra, and even House of Secrets.
And it kind of irks me how she tells her listeners to "think for themselves" and crap, then floods them with propaganda promoting what she personally supports...
Sorry, didn't mean to shit on Otep there, I guess I'm being pretty cynical. "SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE work buy consume die" - yeah Otep, I'll take that advice, definitely NOT paying for this CD. I'll download this one thankyouverymuch!
Apparently you dont understand the lyrics. It means for one to break free and think for themselves, and that could be to follow someone elses ideals. It also speaks of how fucked up our government is, and how we need to find a way to use a different meathod.<br /> <br /> The ''Work Buy Consume Die'' bit tells of every politicans life.<br /> <br /> It is really a deep song, if you would take the time to listen to it. Furthermore, of course her voice is damaged. So is every other screamo artists. But it is still utterly amazing<br />
The lyrics follow a simple construct in which she is TRYING to keep them simple and in a mocking fashion. Therefore the fact that they seem like one liners is on purpose to make the song more sarcastic.<br /> <br /> As for her voice sounding like shit; my question is why are you listening to a metal band if you want a voice that sounds good? that tends to not be the consistency as far as bands like otep go. But for someone who has done as much screaming as she has she defiantly takes a place in the top ten "Aretha Franklin of the metal world" contest.<br /> <br /> Lastly she isn't PUSHING her views on anyone and if points of view and hearing about other people's isnt your thing you shouldn't be listening to music in the first place.<br /> <br /> oh and I paid for the CD, special edition too it was like $24 lol.
Agree with TheSwagga, there is far more complexity to the song than u realise. As much as we are pounded in the face by consumer-media, we're fed conspiracy theories, expose's and confessions...nothing she delivers to us is new, but the short scenario's had me nodding that collectively, all these truths are dots in a really ugly picture when u start joining them..and all in all, it generated a fairly strong emotional response from me....perfectly done i say !!!!