Magnified Illusion

Lyrics by Howard Anshell

 

Got a phone call just the other day,
Sounded like it came from the CIA —
Or one of those initialed bureaucracies , any way…
He said, ” Stick around,
And we’ll be right down
To take you away!”
He said, “We know what you’ve been up to down there–
The Walls have ears,
The word is out,
And loose talk is in the air!”
I said, “You’ve got the wrong number…”
He said, “I don’t care;
I need some voter
To fill my quota of
Meaningless despair .”
I said, “Pardon me for the intrusion–
I think you are engaged in a delusion!
But I believe I have arrived in a solution:
Just
Extract me
From your
Magnified Illusion!”
A man in a robe comes
Rat-tat-tat
At my door
Said, “You just can’t trust this
Devil’s world no more!
But, lucky for us,
My friend
Talks to the Lord–
Just give a donation,
And you’ll find salvation
From his terrible swift sword!”
I held back a chuckle,
And commenced to speak:
“I can’t say much for the
Company
This supposed Lord keeps!
And what about the millions
Who have their own beliefs?”
He said, “There’s only one way
To be saved today,
Now down on your knees!”
I said, “Sir I beg for exclusion!
I don’t want to add to your confusion,
But please don’t consider me for
Retribution
In the scope of your
Magnified illusion!”
Turned on the TV just to watch the news–
It seems designed just to
Give you the blues,
And make you think that there’s
Nothing you can do–
If they keep you down
Then their chosen clown
Can do the thinking for you!
Everywhere there’s a
Smiling mask
Who would love to control
All the views and opinions that you call your
Soul–
They’ll grab for a part
If they can’t get the whole;
They’ll take it as such,
But there won’t be much
Left for your own!
So I say,
If you’re sick and tired of losing
Just get to work on your own
Revolution.
But don’t mind what I say,
‘Cause I’m just cruising
In my own little
Magnified Illusion!