HALFPENNY OPERA

It don’t matter what you say I’m gonna twist it round some other way Until it’s music to my ears

It don’t matter what you do It don’t matter what I choose I’m governed by my fears

You are my toxic asset I can’t get rid of you

I try to give you all my best But you’re putting me through a stress test And it don’t look like I’m passing

I used to fill you with entertainment Now I’m waiting on my arraignment All I’ve got’s this chair to put my ass in

You are my toxic asset You’re an American classic I guess my eyes were bigger than my stomach Is that why I’m being punished?

We put these dreams in your head And then we left you for dead Now all we can say to you sonny is, What color’s your parachute?

Mine is made of feathers Yours is something heavier All I can say to you sonny is, Find a McMansion to loot

Don’t be so hard on yourself You can always blame someone else I highly recommend A successful immigrant group

I know your life is hellish But soon you’ll come to relish The crack of the whip and the kick of the boot

You see, we’re really cosmonauts We’re made of dots preceded by lots of zeroes They just screwed up the decimal places And so let’s un-screw-up our chemical faces For even a half-penny opera needs its heroes

We put these dreams in your head And then we left you for dead Now all we can say to you, sonny, is, What color’s your parachute?

Mine is made of feathers Yours is something heavier All I can say to you, sonny is, Find a McMansion to loot

Don’t be so hard on yourself You can always blame someone else In the meantime polish your boots In the meantime polish your boots

Take you down gonna put you in the water

Take it up with the water board, boy With the water board, boy

“Combat injustice but in moderation Such things will freeze to death if left alone Remember: this vale of tribulation Is black as pitch and cold as any stone”*

*Bertolt Brecht, “The Threepenny Opera”