Lying In State

Dystopia

2016

Duration: 3:34

Track number: 9

Times played live: 31

Writers

Lyrics by: Dave Mustaine, Kiko Loureiro

Music by: Dave Mustaine, Kiko Loureiro

Theme

A song about a deceptive and predatory figure, personified by the fable of the **scorpion** and the frog—promising not to sting only to immediately betray. The narrator assumes an authoritative, destructive role ('I rule on land, air, and sea,' 'I pass judgement on humanity'), implying a corrupt ruler or a deadly military system that is **'Lying in state'** (both literally, as a body of state, and figuratively, as a state of deceit).

Lyrics

What we are witnessing is the decline of western civilization Crushing our potential and piling it on, how will history portray us? Attack the family, attack their faith and dreams Attack the body and the head will fall A lasting legacy or ruin brought in haste? The enemy of truth is lying there in state Another day, another manufactured crisis keeping the people distracted There's no one playing by the rules anymore, how will history portray us? A broken backbone with nothing left to lose? That hate the sight of all the ones that do? A lasting legacy or ruin brought in haste? The enemy of truth is lying there in state A shiny new agenda, birthed from a depraved mind Of failing us on purpose, to culturally sanitize Its opiates for the masses under cloak as hope and change The New Normal or just more of the same? The perfect plan Must have an alibi And the perfect pawn To spew the party line Of the perfect falsehood Spoke a thousand times The perfect words Cover the greatest crime Hell is turning itself inside out To lead its path up to meet us And we deliberately take A step, one foot closer to the grave