Program

Television. More than just a pastime. It's a program.

elevision, tunnelvision, black-out blues
you got your game show giggle and your network news
subliminal input, it's a sensual drain
hard to shake it off, it's like a mousetrap on your brain
program, program

it'll show you the world through a camera lense
you can cut it up in pieces, you can feed it to your friends
manipulate your reflex to it's own intent
you'll be putty in the fingers of a well-dressed gent
program, program, program

how could we fall so far behind
so many heads with so little on their minds
so many extraneous designs
is this the best we can do with our time
with our time, with our minds

there's a living isolation in the family tree
when everybody goes along with it so dutifully
waiting for the sit-com or the big time game
like intimate strangers with the same last name
program, program, program

how could we let them come between
con us into living somebody else's dream
must be like some other kind of drug
hard to kick till somebody pulls the plug
pulls the plug, pulls out the rug

television, tunnelvision, starin' at a glass eye
sliding through the hours while the world goes by
suspended animation is the beauty of it all
it's just one step better than starin' at the wall
program, program, program
credits

from Head Full Of Pictures, released June 8, 2006
Words and music by Jim Page

Jim Page: vocals and guitar
Billy Oskay: fiddle
Mark Ettinger: double bass

recorded and mixed by Billy Oskay