This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Here I am standing ten feet between us
Beside me the door that I just came through
Where I walked past an overweight cop in an alley
With a beer gut bursting from a bullet proof jacket
Who thinks to himself
"I've got to get back to the man that I was when I was a dreamer
With a partner in crime named Brandy McGill
A girl with a love of life bigger than normal
Who still wonders when her life will begin
Her best friend Maria who seems to have everything tells her
She probably just needs a vacation away from the stress of her husband's vocation
While Maria is talking, Brandy is drifting, staring at John who just got the job
Busing tables to pay for Community College
An Associates degree in x-ray technology
John is too old to still be in college
He doesn't like class and sometimes does not go
Long story short his family was broken
He was freed from a past life as a kid on Skid row
He notices Brandy but stares at Maria
Her beauty well practiced in casting a spell
Imagining her naked he spills dirty dishes
On the lap of an elderly woman named Belle
A lady who won't live to see her next birthday
But shares a warm smile regardless of that
The mess that unfolds completely surrounds her
Not one bit of urgency enters her soul
She reaches for Roy, her husband forever
In love and connection, her small hand he holds
And nothing comes of it but a manager's anger
Not for the mess, but her father's remark
About a bad grade she had as a child
So she takes her revenge out by firing John
Who now wonders when his life will begin
Ain't it confusing to search for the will and learn
When you find it that you've lost your way
Long story short he saw a commercial that said that
The 20's are the prime of your life
But that doesn't seem to be true at this moment
As he cleans out his locker and calls his best friend
Who's too busy to talk cause he's prepping with lawyers
To keep money from his ex-wife
The mother of their only son who's naturally drawn to guns and sharp objects
Who now has no father except for on weekends two times a month
No need to worry, I'm told we're protected by the men passing laws in the house
And the senate from people who mix up the truth and reality
With movies and games and ridiculous scenarios
Long story short, best I can tell, children can't be left to raise themselves
Beside me the door that I just came through
Where I walked past an overweight cop in an alley
With a beer gut bursting from a bullet proof jacket
Who thinks to himself
"I've got to get back to the man that I was when I was a dreamer
With a partner in crime named Brandy McGill
A girl with a love of life bigger than normal
Who still wonders when her life will begin
Her best friend Maria who seems to have everything tells her
She probably just needs a vacation away from the stress of her husband's vocation
While Maria is talking, Brandy is drifting, staring at John who just got the job
Busing tables to pay for Community College
An Associates degree in x-ray technology
John is too old to still be in college
He doesn't like class and sometimes does not go
Long story short his family was broken
He was freed from a past life as a kid on Skid row
He notices Brandy but stares at Maria
Her beauty well practiced in casting a spell
Imagining her naked he spills dirty dishes
On the lap of an elderly woman named Belle
A lady who won't live to see her next birthday
But shares a warm smile regardless of that
The mess that unfolds completely surrounds her
Not one bit of urgency enters her soul
She reaches for Roy, her husband forever
In love and connection, her small hand he holds
And nothing comes of it but a manager's anger
Not for the mess, but her father's remark
About a bad grade she had as a child
So she takes her revenge out by firing John
Who now wonders when his life will begin
Ain't it confusing to search for the will and learn
When you find it that you've lost your way
Long story short he saw a commercial that said that
The 20's are the prime of your life
But that doesn't seem to be true at this moment
As he cleans out his locker and calls his best friend
Who's too busy to talk cause he's prepping with lawyers
To keep money from his ex-wife
The mother of their only son who's naturally drawn to guns and sharp objects
Who now has no father except for on weekends two times a month
No need to worry, I'm told we're protected by the men passing laws in the house
And the senate from people who mix up the truth and reality
With movies and games and ridiculous scenarios
Long story short, best I can tell, children can't be left to raise themselves
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
Long Story Short Lyrics as written by Seth Avett Scott Avett
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Agreed