[Verse 1:]
Late after school I walk to our dingy home, the same path every night
On the right side of the apartment I see red and blue lights
It must've been around twenty cops holding my father's bloodied face to the porch
And they're yellin' and screamin' at him, and I admit I know what for
To make ends meet my father had always had meetings with the drug addicted
And that may seem bad, but I don't mind, it kept us from getting evicted
The one last word I get from him is not a word at all
It's just a glance, through teary eyes and bloodied jaw

[Pre-Chorus 1:]
Well I wish I knew what he wanted to say
But they lifted him up and they took him away
Making life safer, one death at a time
For a victimless crime
Courthouse expresses how civil we are
Outside the windows a crowd gathers on
Verdict is coming and what do they want?
You die for your crimes!

[Chorus:]
We want you to die
Want you to suffer
Want you to live here for your whole life
Want you to die
Want you to suffer
Want you to live here for your whole life
Want you to die
Want you to suffer
Want you to live here for your whole life
Want you to die
Want you to suffer
Want you to live here for your whole life
[Verse 2:]
Into the jailhouse on the eve of my graduation ceremony
Father leans against the glass, get the phone to answer for me
"Well dad, I've never told you I loved you and I'm not sure that I did
But I can sure as hell say that I never wanted it to end up like this"
Hang up the phone and recollect and I put aside our differences
He always said the game was rigged, and it sure is rigged against us
The one possibility we ever had to get out of this mess
Was beaten in from the start, and busted up in the head

[Pre-Chorus 2:]
Well now that you're in here we'll bash you in
Steal you away from your wives and your kids
Cheer on your rapist because of what you did
Scoff at the systems that treat you as human
Death penalty is the way that you go
Civil society rests in its homes
Casting a ballot for vengeful maniacs
So you die for your crimes!

[Chorus:]
We want you to die
Want you to suffer
Want you to live here for your whole life
Want you to die
Want you to suffer
Want you to live here for your whole life
Want you to die
Want you to suffer
Want you to live here for your whole life
Want you to die
Want you to suffer
Want you to live here for your whole life!
[Bridge:]
In a human rotting cage, you'll waste away your days
Keeping no company, fed slop and rotten meat
No way to treat a human, is it, but what do you care
Punishment's a deterrent, and we all have streets to share
Well you've deterred the 2.3 million who've found their home
Is a big grey cell when they're on their own
And the population of our most American cities
Made of men and women wearing orange jerseys
Is our biggest pride that we have to show
Number one in the world, and with room to grow
I can tell that this free country of ours
Is nothing but a giant house of cards
House of, house of, house of cards
House of, house of, house of cards
House of, house of, house of cards
House of, house of, house of cards
House of, house of, house of cards
House of, house of, house of cards
House of, house of, house of cards
House of, house of, house of cards

[Outro:]
Yeah!
How am I gonna make it on my own?!
How am I gonna make it on my own?!