by Yaël Ossowski

Hey Citizen, you’re the first to hear
We’ve got a new war to start, so strap on your gear
Put on your blinders and heed what they say
Not time for questions, it’s time to obey

Forget Palestine, forget occupation
Forget the bombs and the sanctions that have killed a nation
Forget the coups and states we’ve infiltrated
The lives that were lost, the fates devastated

From Sudan to Haiti, Angola and Chili
Nicaragua y Cuba y Panama City
A good neighbor armed with clusters and napalm
From the sands of Iraq to the jungles of Nam

Forget all the lessons you’ve learned before
About a rule of law and a system of morals
Justice, Freedom, and Liberty can wait
For we must feed our souls to the health of the state

Protect me from those who believe in you
Protect me from those who believe in you
That’s all that I ask you to do
And end the noble lie too

‘Cause when it lives on, we can’t survive
When it lives on, they can’t survive
When it lives on, none can survive

It carried us through the rugged terrain
Spilled the blood and the treasure of the unnamed
Finally hit home on that fateful day
When the guns turned on us and were pointed our way

A nation stood quiet tried to understand
What could have justified an attack on our land
The truth was too much, we could never admit
The lie had brought us the day that none could forget

Brothers and sisters, neighbors and soldiers
Saw the towers coming down, put guns on their shoulders
Tried to find justice where their missiles landed
But the lie had left their souls branded

Four thousand boys who could have been men
Find the meaning of death in some far-off land
Tried to seek vengeance, help from above
But the flag they came home with was covered in blood

War is our calling, the American way
The world over, our fabled enemies shall pay
Not a continent spared of brimstone and fire
The Noble Lie lives on in the age of empire

Protect me from those who believe in you
Protect me from those who believe in you
That’s all that I ask you to do
And end the noble lie too

‘Cause when it lives on, we can’t survive
When it lives on, they can’t survive
When it lives on, none can survive

The stars and stripes won’t be the last
Of imperial flags to hang from the mast
Whether it’s brass or iron, silver or gold
The myths of our fathers will be forever retold

And as pawns on the board, how can the people play
But remove their consent and keep their pay
Slay the leviathan until it dies
Beware false prophets in the suits and ties

And the empires will burn, liberty shall reign
Unleash the fury of a passion that has been restrained
The defeat of the looters will be the final wave
As the slaves are lead out of the cave

So Citizen, you’ll be the first to hear
There are no more wars and peace is here
The illusion of power has gone away
Destiny is yours, live it your way

Protect me from those who believe in you
Protect me from those who believe in you
That’s all that I ask you to do
And end the noble lie too

‘Cause when it lives on, we can’t survive
When it lives on, they can’t survive
When it lives on, none can survive