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Payola

by Desaparecidos

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1.
It begins when we chain ourselves to the ATMs Make a mess when we pitch our tents on the statehouse steps Now we're taking it, now we're taking it back Now we're taking it, now we're taking it back For the greater good Goddamn Robin Hoods Fan the flames, serve them cocktails down at the Stock Exchange Hear the screams take our baseball bats to the limousines They'll be talking us, they'll be talking us up They'll be talking us, they'll be talking us up To the journalists If there's any left You know the Sixties proved that change is hit or miss Every bloody pacifist concedes the truth If one must die to save the ninety-nine Maybe it's justified The left is right We're doomed
2.
You were calling out from the underground You had lots of big ideas but no one can hear them now They riddled you with guilt They tempted you with wealth They twisted all your words They made you hate yourself So now you do your shtick, a loyal patriot And you toe the party line even though it makes you sick They gave you talking points They taught you double-speak They forced you into war By saying you were weak. They signed your checks 'til they had you in the bag They scared you blind then draped you in a flag Made you a man at Fort Bragg You'll do good business as an apologist If you exaggerate their facts, if you perpetuate their myth They made activism trite They made honor optional They made propaganda news They made science radical They pulled your teeth ' til you smiled and agreed They slit your throat and buried you at sea All for the land of the free
3.
All the founding fathers sowed their seeds into servant girls All the godless heathens had to leave to make a newer world So we could live together in America Justice is blind and so is love Uh-oh Uh-oh Uh-oh Uh-oh All the stolen melodies they played in the hit parade All the borrowed spirituals they feigned in the salad days So we could sing together in America The price of an anthem paid in blood Bodies stacked like hundred dollar bills (Carved names into a wall) To build that shining city on the hill (Forgot them all) There’s no guilt, regret or shame It just had to be this way Uh-oh Uh-oh Uh-oh Uh-oh If you scheme and hustle just don’t get caught, you've got to risk it all Or hang on every number they read off for the Powerball We’ll all get rich together in America Money is indifferent and so is love Trash bags full of hundred dollar bills (Put statues on the mall) We left that bombed-out city on the hill (Forgave them all) Have to relocate the past Because we are never going back Uh-oh Uh-oh
4.
Services that don't exist Swapping the derivatives When you're betting on both red and black It's dealer's choice the deck is always stacked Now he runs the company Cable news celebrity They put him on the front of Forbes He parades the bull like he's a matador It’s a frat house full of silver spoons Watching pornography of busts and booms It’s a locker room of CEOs Telling dirty jokes They're all betting men who never lose And float away on golden parachutes It’s a bonus not a shake down And they're worth every penny in my bank account Now that you're too big to fail You'll never have to go to jail When you own it you can rob the bank A bloated Dillinger a spray-tanned Jesse James It’s a frat house full of silver spoons Watching pornography of busts and booms It’s a locker room of CFOs Telling racist jokes They're all betting men who never lose And float away on golden parachutes And if Main Street wants a hand out In their underwater houses let them drown
5.
Radicalized 02:49
My whole family tree has got nothing to eat The machine guns guard the checkpoint from starving refugees So when I stop to pray for the fifth time today Still see my sister Alma with a hole in her skull As the tanks pulled away Radicalized! Radicalized! Radical lies! Radical lies! I'm so surprised my mind's a tug-o-war Radicalized! Radicalized! Radical lies! Radical lies! It's no surprise my mind's not mine no more Can't afford no dream with a G.E.D. Recruiter shook my brother's hand now he's all he can be So when his team's Humvee hit the I.E.D. Me and my mother we cried in our new double wide Around the Christmas tree Radicalized! Radicalized! Radical lies! Radical lies! I'm so surprised my mind's a tug-o-war Radicalized! Radicalized! Radical lies! Radical lies! It's no surprise my mind's not mine no more Radicalized! Radicalized! Radical lies! Radical lies! I'm so surprised my mind's a tug-o-war Radicalized! Radicalized! Radical lies! Radical lies! It's no surprise my mind's not mine no more
6.
MariKKKopa 02:45
There is a lynching at Home Depot of the last day laborer In this sanctuary city with its anchor-baby births They say "It's time we had some justice for the white race on this earth This place is strange and getting stranger" "We got to round 'em up! Door to door tonight we're ready" Knock Knock Knock "Drag them from their beds They got some nerve to say they were here first" "We're gonna round them up! Hiding in the semi-trailers" Knock Knock Knock "Beat it in their heads We keep our word and Maricopa pure" They're sweating in Sun City cause they just got off the course Saying "Sheriff Joe it's awful and it's only getting worse" "Oh did you hear about Rob Krentz? They left him bleeding in the dirt These Spics they're brave and getting braver" "We got to round 'em up! Door to door the posse is ready" Knock Knock Knock "Drag them from their beds Cause it's their turn for someone to get hurt" "We're gonna round 'em up! Crying in the day-care center" Knock Knock Knock "Beat it in their heads They'll never learn until Maricopa burns!"
7.
When tear gas falls and bullets fly I'm going to stay right by your side The police push and you just smile They could never match your style All winter we will march By spring this town is ours Oh Camila You have a fire in your heart They tried to say this was impossible But I know you'll prove them wrong Oh Camila You have the people in your palm They're overflowing in the plaza Here to sing your rebel song Assassins stalk and insults fly I know you're not afraid to die And when I look into your eyes I know that now neither am I Hear the cacerolazos start Banging down the boulevard Oh Camila Now the future is on the way The workers are resisting And the students chant your name Oh Camila We've been saving for today Let me carry your umbrella Let's go walking in the rain Oh Camila You put a fire in my heart I don't know what's going to happen But I want to do my part Oh Camila If it all goes up in flames Once the lies and greed and fear burns out The truth is what remains remains remains
8.
Ralphy's Cut 03:22
Always fast asleep in the middle of the day They talk soft at my bedside, now, either way Fill out the paperwork it’s just another little form Each policy has its benefits but some claims aren’t covered anymore I’ll pay the blood test money Heavy premium I had to quit my job Don’t want to sponge off the government but I’m coughing blood I met the specialist who will decide my fate She smiled down at my X-ray said I’m an ideal candidate But you got to understand It’s not part of the plan It’s good news but you’re not out of the woods You got to wait your turn boy Be careful what you earn And we’ll call you back Just try and stay strong honey Always wide awake in the middle of the night Follow my friends through the telephone but it isn’t life Feeling incomplete, I got the crossword done I’ll be prepared when they cut me up but I can’t imagine hell or heaven But I finally understand It’s all out of my hands I lived way longer than they said I would So now I’m taking all your love Like an experimental drug Come by sometime a laugh would do me good We got to let it go boys You know we’re all on hold 'Til they call you back
9.
Backsell 03:13
I was scanning through the stations Every channel sounded clear With tempo like a timepiece You know you are on a grid you just slide the snare No worries for admission Cause we got you on the list But when your boy found out we don't put out You know his face turned red and he got so pissed Now there is a message on my cell phone everyday "Hi, this is Luke Wood from DreamWorks" "This is Joel Mark from MCA" Capitol! Send the A&R with a firm offer Interscope! If the answer is no you can write your own But the frenzy Britt warned me of has begun Their cash cow killed himself so they're looking for the next one I was glancing through a glossy I had to scribble out my face Because I'm always self-effacing Or I'm just arrogant I guess they both are fake Like when you listen back on headphones With a trickle in you throat You know it's hard to sing and I've been struggling But with some Auto-Tune I can hit the note So it’s 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 "You know that first note was flat but the rest I think sounded great" Capitol! Trash the mobile home at the festival Interscope! Throw that big TV off the balcony Cause the excess excess is drying up So when the bottom drops out boys we will be the lucky ones
10.
Slacktivist 02:54
Just “like” this and the problem is solved I want to start to kick back and get involved Everyone is selfless it’s so much fun Donate a dollar with my coffee and save someone Calling all friends I loosely know We’re a tight knit clique in the virtual Our purses are fat these kids are gaunt Every little bit helps a lot Never had conviction 'til I changed my mind Read we coexist in the drive-thru line Cleaning out my closet to make amends Send a Nike swoosh to an African Casinos stretched high in the Dubai sky All the oligarchs in the buffet line Cause everybody’s starving for their piece of pie Seems impossible… but the dreamers say say… Come! Come On! There's so much to do we can get it done Come one, Come all! We are trending towards a cause The race is done The money's gone But you're living strong with your bracelet on All the parrots say say Come! Come On! You don't have to march you just click your thumb Come one, Come all! We are trending towards a cause
11.
It’s not intrusion It’s just protection Tag your location now We call it Fairview We searched your searches You’re not a bad guy Nothing to worry about We call it Lithium I know it seems like we are spying on you That’s not what it’s about We're always there when no one is watching We’ll be looking out We'll protect you Swear we’re protecting you It’s all up front there is no confusion We’ll mitigate the doubts We protect you from us protecting you The methods that we use are sound Down in the subway Turns out my friend’s brown They had to pat him down And check my backpack Out at the airport Don’t like my passport Let’s take that laptop out Is this your husband? I know it seems like we are picking on you That’s not what it’s about We are always there when no one is watching We’ll be looking out We protect you Swear we’re protecting you The oversight was quite conclusive The panel checked us out We protect you from us protecting you No waste, fraud or abuse was found That’s laughable These bleeding hearts are soft But they’ll be first in line to kiss our feet Once the bombs start going off
12.
It’s hot as hell The sun beats down While we’re waiting for gelato in a brutal crowd He makes you walk Ten steps behind A shadow floating down the street, just a pair of eyes And they’re closed Can’t see the sweat that's your skin While your husband looks through Gucci shades Wears white linen What kind of God forbids you’re seen? Maybe it’s just a man who thinks you’re property? I’ll never understand the way you live I want to ask about it and it isn’t innocent What keeps you covered up? Some backwards superstition or someone’s idea of love? Or is it both at once?
13.
Tearing all the posters off the wall Never leave my bedroom but I’m going to the mall This world is full of liars and it’s Christmastime To pay for fake affection you’ll have to stand in line Woman with the stroller likes the latest trends Bet she’ll still look perfect at the automatic end Hide or beg Doesn’t matter either way Just count the ones that drop Not scream or scatter Careful when I aim Even dead and gone I’ll live forever They will know my name The news said that the safe was left unlocked His mother was a monster, his stepdad was a cop No one paid attention to the warning signs Can never be too careful that is why I carry mine Proud and brave But I will say I was afraid Stand the ground you got Don’t duck or cover Careful when I aim Shoot or you’ll be shot Hero forever They will know my name Just count the ones that drop Not duck or cover Careful when I aim Even dead and gone I’ll live forever They will know my name
14.
Anonymous 03:44
Can't live today off that minimum wage unless you sleep on the factory floor If there is anything great left in this sorry state it was built on the backs of the poor So we buy and we sell for your corporate cartel and we vote when the contestant sings A mind-control mix for our obedience, strong sleep-aids and hard energy drinks Cause Freedom is not free Neither is apathy "Slay Goliath! Slay Goliath!" The flashmob all held up their phones But you cannot predict when the students riot And a big machine always moves slow So throw your little stone You can't stop us We are Anonymous You can't stop us We are Anonymous Expect us We know what all of us know You can't stop us We are Anonymous You can't stop us We are Anonymous Expect us We know what all of us know A half-dozen cops came to seize a laptop from a sleeping fifteen year old kid They broke down the door and discovered some more, A hundred million exactly like him So we do not forgive and we do not forget We are legion, expect us, you'll see The righteous will resist, underfed eat the rich And the data mines finally come clean Cause Freedom is not free And neither is secrecy You can't stop us We are Anonymous You can't stop us We are Anonymous Expect us We know what all of us know You can't stop us We are Anonymous You can't stop us We are Anonymous Expect us We know what all of us know We know what Big Brother did We're the Tattletale We'll see your All-Seeing-Eye in hell

credits

released June 23, 2015

PAYOLA was….

Written and Performed by Desaparecidos:

Matt Baum – Drums
Denver Dalley – Guitar
Landon Hedges – Bass, Vocals
Ian McElroy – Keyboards
Conor Oberst – Guitar, Vocals

Produced by Mike Mogis and Desaparecidos

Mixed by Mike Mogis

Engineered by Mike Mogis and
Corina Figueroa Escamilla

Additional Engineering by Ben Brodin

Recorded at ARC in Omaha, Nebraska at various
times during 2012, 2013, and 2014

Mastered by Ted Jensen
at Sterling Sound in New York City

Guest Vocalists:
Tim Kasher on “City on a Hill”
Laura Jane Grace on “Golden Parachutes”
Ralph Remmert on “Ralphy’s Cut”
The So So Glos: Alex Levine, Ryan Levine,
Matt Elkin and Zach Staggers on “Slacktivist”
Additional Guitar on “10 Steps Behind”
by Phil Reno

Artwork and Layout by Zack Nipper

All songs written by Desaparecidos

Matt Baum:
mynameismattbaum (ASCAP)
Denver Dalley:
The Last Dinosaur (SESAC)
Landon Hedges:
Jack the Nipper (BMI)
Ian McElroy:
MOUNTEVERESTAKAFIGUREITOUT (ASCAP)
Conor Oberst:
Bedrooms; Bedrooms and Spiders (BMI)

Love and Gratitude:
Our families and friends. Brett Gurewitz and
everyone at Epitaph. All who contributed their
time and talents to the making of this album.
Gabe Gonzalez. Phil Schaffart. Becca Laurie.
Jacob Feinberg. Joey Lynch. Ryan Doordan.
Juan Carerra. Eric Dimenstein.
Steve Strange. Chloe Walsh. Nate Krenkel.
Matthew Kaplan. Josh Soto. Jamie and Julie at
EarthQuaker Devices. Glenna Martin.
Declan McElroy. Battle Lake, MN. All who have
inspired us and these songs by fighting for
truth, equality and true justice across the globe.

The struggle continues…

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Desaparecidos Omaha, Nebraska

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