The Ends and the Means

11th century AD
 A king says, "Come to war with me
 And never mind thou shalt not kill
 We're dealing now with infidels"
 He raises high his sword and then he charges forth with all his men
 And with the blessing of the papacy a righteous tongue he screams
 The ends, they justify the means, my friends
 Oh, the ends, they justify the means
 They tell him a life is nothing more than a weapon in a time of war
 And this is the only way we've found to tear these mighty symbols down
 In the cockpit now, he starts to steer so all the world will clearly hear
 These once benign flying machines shouting out of TV screens
 The ends, they justify the means, my friends
 Oh, the ends, they justify the means
 ♪
 The talking heads are shouting now, working hard to break it down
 'Cause reasons get a little blurred when justice is a household word
 And as the stations ratings soar, night vision cameras watch the war
 While far across a veil of sea, we cheer the black and flashing greens
 The ends, they justify the means, my friends
 Oh, the ends, they justify the means
 The boss looks down upon it all from his tower's windowed walls
 Says, "I know how to play this game, and everybody knows my name"
 He preys upon the people's fears, and tells them what they want to hear
 And they celebrate his victory, on the front of tabloid magazines
 The ends, they justify the means, my friends
 Oh, the ends, they justify the means
 ♪
 He climbed upon a mountain high and spoke to every passerby
 Everyone you ever knew is really just a part of you
 They see the life you choose to live, and they feel the hope you choose to give
 And every word you ever say, you teach the world to live that way
 And when society had had enough, they beat him down and lifted him up
 They crossed his feet and raised his hands, and quietly he whispered, then
 "The means, they justify the ends, my friends
 Oh, the means, they justify the ends, my friends
 Oh, the means, they justify the ends"