Dar Williams
Buzzer
[Verse 1]
Sitting with the number eight platter at the restaurant
Four twenty-nine for almost anything I want
Add it up, it's cheaper than the stuff I make myself
I get by, I never needed anybody's help

[Chorus]
And I tore out an ad and they told me that I
Would press the buzzer, would press the buzzer
At the graduate lab, they were doing some tests
I pressed the buzzer, I pressed the buzzer

[Post-Chorus]
Ride the circle off of the highway
Spiral into the driveway
In the maze of old prefabs
They'll be waiting at the lab

[Verse 2]
I don't know how everybody makes it through the daily drill
Paint the nails, walk a dog, pay every bill
I'm feeling sorry for this guy that I press to shock
He gets the answers wrong, I have to up the watts

[Chorus]
And he begged me to stop, but they told me to go
I press the buzzer, I press the buzzer
So get out of my head, just give me my line
I press the buzzer, I press the buzzer
[Post-Chorus]
Ride the circle off of the highway
Spiral into the driveway
In the maze of old prefabs
They'll be waiting at the lab

[Verse 3]
They called me back to the lab to discuss the test
I put my earrings on, found my heels, wore a dress
Right away I knew, it was like I'd failed a quiz
The man said "Do you know what a fascist is?"
I said, "Yeah, it's when you do things you're not proud of
But you're scraping by, taking orders from above."
I get it now, I'm the face, I'm the cause of war
We don't have to blame white-coated men anymore

[Chorus]
When I knew it was wrong, I played it just like a game
I pressed the buzzer, I pressed the buzzer
Here's your seventy bucks, now everything's changed
I press the buzzer, I press the buzzer
But tell me where are your stocks, would you do this again?
I press the buzzer
And tell me who made your clothes, was it children or men?
I press the buzzer
[Post-Chorus]
Ride the circle off of the highway
Spiral into the driveway
In the maze of old prefabs
They'll be waiting at the lab