Never Was
A punk rock song with a driving tempo of 160 BPM in the key of E minor. The instrumentation includes a distorted electric guitar playing power chords, a prominent bass guitar, and a standard drum kit with a strong backbeat. The vocals are male, delivered in a raw, aggressive, and slightly nasally tone, often with a spoken word quality that transitions into melodic shouting. The song features a clear verse-chorus structure with a bridge and an outro. Production elements include a dry, in-your-face mix with minimal reverb, emphasizing the raw energy of the performance. The guitar features a consistent overdriven tone throughout. The bass provides a solid rhythmic and harmonic foundation, often playing root notes with a driving eighth-note rhythm. The drums are punchy, with a strong snare hit on beats two and four. There are no complex chord progressions, primarily relying on I-VI-VII-V patterns in the verses and choruses. The melody is largely confined to a narrow vocal range, emphasizing rhythmic delivery over intricate melodic lines.
Never Was
A punk rock song with a driving tempo of 160 BPM in the key of E minor. The instrumentation includes a distorted electric guitar playing power chords, a prominent bass guitar, and a standard drum kit with a strong backbeat. The vocals are male, delivered in a raw, aggressive, and slightly nasally tone, often with a spoken word quality that transitions into melodic shouting. The song features a clear verse-chorus structure with a bridge and an outro. Production elements include a dry, in-your-face mix with minimal reverb, emphasizing the raw energy of the performance. The guitar features a consistent overdriven tone throughout. The bass provides a solid rhythmic and harmonic foundation, often playing root notes with a driving eighth-note rhythm. The drums are punchy, with a strong snare hit on beats two and four. There are no complex chord progressions, primarily relying on I-VI-VII-V patterns in the verses and choruses. The melody is largely confined to a narrow vocal range, emphasizing rhythmic delivery over intricate melodic lines.
Lyrics
verse
born in a cage with a flag for a blanket,
told a lot of things, told that you could make it.
chains in the anthem, bars in the pledge,
land of the brave, yeah, jump off the ledge.
they sell you a dream that you'll never afford,
work till you rot, then they cut the cord.
ballots don't matter, the winner's been picked,
red, white, and blue - just blood, tears, and shit.
pre-chorus
say you got rights? that's cute, that's sweet,
till a badge wanna beat you dead in the street.
say you got hope? well, ain't that rich?
tell that to the ones in a six-foot ditch.
chorus
this ain't a democracy, it never was,
you think your voice matters? it never does
you ain't in control, you ain't got a say,
bow to the dollar or get blown away.
verse
vote for a puppet, pick left or right,
either way, you're still losing the fight.
they stack the deck, they own the game,
they don't hesitate to tell you who to blame.
gun to your temple, laws down your throat,
drown in the tax while they buy bigger boats.
feed us the poison, sell us the cure,
tell us it's progress - yeah, sure.
pre-chorus
say you got rights? that's cute, that's sweet,
till a badge wanna beat you dead in the street.
think you got freedom? you're breathing on loan,
start making waves and you're never coming home.
chorus
this ain't a democracy, it's all a facade,
try to speak up; they won't spare the rod.
you ain't in control, you ain't got a name,
bow to the dollar or burn in the flames.
bridge
nation of slaves, ruled by the few,
they lie to your face, call it red, white, and blue.
march in the street? cops in the gear.
peaceful protest? that ain't allowed here.
speak outta line, watch how they move,
knock on the door, now you just news.
outro
you can't vote your way out of a cage,
burn the whole damn book, don't just turn the fuckin' page.