[Verse 1]
It's late at night; it's time to tell you my secrets
My personality's cut up into pieces
Modern society's my one secret weakness
I'm out of money, and I'm out of my mind
We can't fit in, so we just head for the fringes
Your universe of blue lipstick and syringes
Your bedroom doorway with the bugs in the hinges
Some things about you that I don't understand at all

[Chorus]
But I, I don't wanna be the bad guy
I wanna see myself from the outside
Can you hear me now?
Wait, can you—
Wait, wait, can you hear me now?
'Cause I, I have got a lousy connection
I promise my undying affection
Can you hear me now?
Wait, wait, can you—
Wait, can you hear me now?

[Verse 2]
So I've been working on this letter to Congress
Regarding some things that I think they should address
Showed up in court wearing an Indian headdress
Somehow I think maybe the message was lost
It seems the clarity we knew is degraded
A royal flush where all the faces have faded
I want the universe; God knows I've been patient
I hear your voice behind a staticky storm
[Verse 3]
The century seems like it's turning out okay
It's like a game of worldwide karaoke
And my rich friends and me just sit and blow smoke rings
There's nothing happening, and it's happening too fast
Try to interpret but the message is scrambled
The institutions that I lean on have crumbled
I've got the world's ear; I'm all fucking mumbles
I guess I'm just another link in a chain

[Chorus]
I, I don't wanna be the bad guy
I wanna see myself from the outside
Can you hear me now?
Wait, can you—
Wait, can you hear me now?
And I've, I have got a lousy connection
I promise my undying affection
Can you hear me now?
Wait, wait, can you—
Wait, just can you hear me now?