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Silent Revolution

by The Benevolent Dictators

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1.
So I mourn for the dead, though they cannot hear my cries What good is it unnoticed, what good is it to try From that fear of cold and darkness, when imagined in that grave Give power to restrain the injustice of mankind The fortune of others, as I conceive Not just the virtuous, or humane However selfish that I may seem Derive his sorrow Though at ease I cannot feel his pain, imagination puts me in his place The stroke is aimed (I shrink back) upon his arm The beggar on the street, ulcers and sores On the slackrope (I twist) the dancer writhes Only conception Yet enough to cause me that unease, the robust and feeble feel it too To share the amusement of a book or a poem And to enter in their sentiments just as if they were our own The mortification when we jest and no one joins, Feels so instantaneous that it cannot be self-love The stroke is aimed upon his arm The beggar on the street, ulcers and sores On the slackrope the dancer writhes Only conception Though at ease I cannot feel his pain, imagination puts me in his place Yet enough to cause me that unease, the robust and feeble feel it too
2.
How am I to know if what I do is right or wrong I’m seeking approbation from the need to get along And to be lovely, but not just to be loved. Not only loved, but lovely in your eyes Tell me how it seems from the outside looking in, I want to be worthy of your praise devoid of sin And to be lovely, but not just to be loved. Not only loved, but lovely in your eyes And to be lovely, but not just to be loved. Not only loved, but lovely in your eyes The emptiness of fame when the public misconstrues, Fills me with anxiety, ‘cuz you know it’s not true And to be lovely, but not just to be loved. Not only loved, but lovely in your eyes And to be lovely, but not just to be loved. Not only loved, but lovely in your eyes
3.
They say beauty is in order What’s left over in so few hands But the landlords spell their doom Wanting the jewelry the merchants have The price they paid could buy them a thousand different men And though they get the diamonds Power leaves them, and commerce wins instead Here comes the silent revolution, Moving slowly, no certainty Interdependence, cultivation From no design comes prosperity Without any intention, without beneficence The feudal system’s dying Lords made obsolete from their childish vanity Without any intention, without beneficence The feudal system’s dying Lords made obsolete from their childish vanity
4.
Well at six years old we seem to be in ability nearly the same soon changed by modernity And our innate desire to truck barter or exchange and you’re not any higher in worth or dignity Whether you’re paid to think or move on the street your disposition and genius were made in equity In isolation they’d appear the same still that philosopher remains so vain But the fellow dogs separately can’t utilize their different skills, strength, swiftness or docility From no innate desire to truck barter or exchange and you’re not any higher in worth or dignity Whether you’re paid to think or move on the street your disposition and genius were made in equity So Aristotle was wrong about the slaves still that philosopher remains so vain It’s our innate desire to truck, barter, or exchange and you’re not any higher in worth or dignity
5.
Far away from where I’m sleeping, tragedy shakes the earth Myriad of its inhabitants, the Chinese empire swallowed whole Annihilated in a moment, reflect upon misfortune But what for European trade? Return to pleasure all the same He calls to me, the man within, showing a powerful reflection What’s honorable, neighborly love, my fellow-feeling’s just so limited But if you told me that tomorrow, my little finger would be gone I’d lie awake in real disturbance, do you tremble at the thought? He calls to me, the man within, showing a powerful reflection What’s honorable, neighborly love, my fellow-feeling’s just so limited He calls to me, the man within, showing a powerful reflection What’s honorable, neighborly love, my fellow-feeling’s just so limited
6.
Pin Factory 02:49
From wire drawn ‘til the straightening, pass through eighteen distinct hands Ten people now could make more in a day than if left to do on their own Cut first before put into paper, the pin comes out in completion What seems at first to be a trifling trade is revealed to greatly improve And the master of a family knows this truth that you don’t make it at home what it costs less to buy And the master of a family knows this truth that you don’t make it at home what it costs less to buy
7.
Through division of labor, so improved and refined with so much variety of goods I can try And all that specialization, at the cost of my mind a few operations take all my time And from this mindless employment, I’ll avoid and abhor the life of a soldier, I won’t go to war Will I forget how to read, my intellect atrophies I’m drawn to superstition from the routine of my trade For the hunters and shepherds, though their state is so rude every man is a warrior, industrious too And all that specialization, at the cost of my mind a few operations take all my time Will I forget how to read, my intellect atrophies I’m drawn to superstition from the routine of my trade Mental invigoration, can I be saved? Ten years of education, I’ll be ok Ten years…
8.
Filled with anger and ambition I see all those riches if I attained all that I’d be at ease Oh the pain and inconvenience from my small little cottage obligation sorrow and fatigue Maybe I could labor with such industry find the greatness that’d give me tranquility inside I believe But then someday I’ll be a man of luxury through the toil and the pain I’ll attain felicity Cater to those I despise, and serve those I hate for convenience of body and mind But then someway it’s not the same as a life of tranquility and all of that time was for meaningless utility Would you believe me if I said, as I lie on my deathbed that I don’t wish I worked so very hard But then someway it’s not the same as a life of tranquility and all of that time was for meaningless utility Would you believe me if I said, as I lie on my deathbed that I don’t wish I worked so very hard

credits

released December 31, 2017

All songs by The Benevolent Dictators

Will Compernolle - Guitar, Vocals, Harmonica, Air Drums
Drew Courtright - Drums, Miscellaneous Percussion
Fraser Thompson - Piano, Shaker
Pete Thompson - Bass, Engineer, Production

Jaspar Casey - Drums and backup vocals on "Silent Revolution"

Mixed by Greg Hartunian, except "Silent Revolution" by Mike Gillilan
Mastered by Carl Saff
Album Cover painted by Kate Compernolle

Special thanks to Maria Paganelli

And of course, thanks to Adam Smith

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The Benevolent Dictators New York, New York

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