I awoke the morning after my time machine-test
thinking "what should I do now?", trying to think what might be best
And then I thought..."I wanna be just like Jay-Z!
with all that music-money rollin' up to me!
Yeah, I'm going back in time
To make this fuckin' industry mine."

So, now -

I'm going back in time, and I'm gonna write all the songs
Do whatever genre's coming next, how could anything go wrong?
Gonna beat back Benny Goodman with a backbeat from bebop
Always on the cutting edge, baby I can't stopped

But it doesn't work, I'm sad to say, they're just not ready in this day
And at my lowest Benny came to me, and he said, "Why can't you see?

Great songs are written by the victors
Taking a culture's picture
Doesn't matter what the year is
You can't reverse-engineer this."

So now -

I'm gonna try again and I'm gonna buy all the bands,
Give that culture what it wants, with the buck stopping in my hands
Keep 'em on the straight and narrow, hit the bank with a wheelbarrow
tone down the experimentals for the sake of the residentials

But it doesn't work, I'm sad to say, people do too many drugs in this day
And at my lowest Leary came to me and he said, "Why can't you see?"

Great songs are written by the victors,
ignoring well-heeled tricksters
trying to make their money back
farming out the talent they lack."

So now -

I'm gonna try again, but there's really nothing left to run
Everything a click away, all the middlemen undone
what you want and what you don't are lifestyle accessories
so all the seams are showing 'cause you wear em right on your sleeve

so it doesn't work, no need to say, you can't reach everyone in this day
and at my lowest it came to me, and I said, "At last I see."

Great songs were written by the victors
but they were like quicksilver
universal can't be done
in a world of perfect personal fun

So now -

Nobody cares about Sarajevo's Roses.
Nobody cares that pain was only fear leaving your toeses.

Nobody cares the detective sings bedridden in the far west wing.
Nobody cares you don't feel strange, or feel anything.

Nobody cares it ain't no accident we're better off,
or you're set to inherit what i got.

Nobody cares that sorry won't make her stay or kiss her face.
Nobody cares who led you to this hiding place.

Nobody cares god's eyes are closed, just like yours.
Nobody cares that you wondered what we're falling for.

Nobody cares you're only here to fall apart.
Nobody cares about the weather report from your heart.