The Clone
Isle of Q Lyrics

I read the books that they told me I should read
I obediently followed the prescribed literary canon that was recommended to me by some authority figure or institution.

I spoke the words that hey told me I should speak
I recited the opinions and ideas that were expected of me and avoided challenging the status quo.

I was the person, the person that they told me to be
I shaped my identity based on external expectations and conformed to the standards defined by society or some group.

I went to places they told me I should go
I visited the destinations that I was advised to visit, without questioning their significance or relevance to my own interests.

I learned the rules that they told me I should know
I internalized the norms and conventions that were prescribed to me, without examining their validity or fairness.

I was a model, a model for the status quo
I embodied the typical or conventional behavior that was considered desirable, without considering alternative lifestyles or paths.

And with all that they programmed into my mind
Despite my compliance with external guidance and indoctrination, I still feel a sense of disorientation or incompleteness.

There's something I'm missing but nothing to find
Although I sense that there is a void or deficiency in my life, I cannot pinpoint its source or how to address it.

One after the other the cycle parades
Each person goes through a standardized process or set of expectations, which perpetuates the same patterns and structures over time.

Tomorrow one more clone is made
With each new iteration or cycle, society reproduces another individual who is shaped and molded according to the prevailing norms and values.

Listen and put you ear to the ground
Pay attention to the subtle or hidden forces or undercurrents that are influencing your thoughts, beliefs, and actions.

You can't stop the engine if you can't hear the sound
You cannot challenge or resist the dominant forces or systems if you are not aware of their existence, effects, and sources of power.

Look up and throw you hands in the air
Raise your head and express yourself in a way that defies the norms and expectations imposed on you.

You can't stop the engine going round
Despite your individual efforts or actions, the social and cultural forces that drive conformity and compliance will keep operating and producing clones.

I got the haircut they told me I should get
I changed my appearance to match the prevailing fashion or trend, without considering my own preferences or style.

I can't remember what they said to forget
I was told to ignore or disregard certain things or ideas that might challenge the dominant narrative or ideology, but I cannot recall what they were.

I'm just a number, another to the government
I am reduced to a statistical or administrative category by the authorities, who treat me as a passive and interchangeable object rather than a unique and autonomous subject.

I went to church where they told me I should pray
I attended a religious institution that prescribed a specific set of rituals or beliefs for me to follow, without questioning its validity or relevance to my own spiritual needs.

I paid the taxes they told me I should pay
I fulfilled my legal obligation to provide financial support to the government, without examining the fairness, efficiency, or morality of the taxation system.

I got the family the house and bills and Chevrolet
I pursued the traditional markers of success and stability, such as starting a family, buying a house, and acquiring material possessions, without considering alternative lifestyles or values.

They look like you and me
The clones that society produces appear similar and homogeneous in their behavior, attitudes, and appearances, masking the diversity and complexity of human experiences.

And now we're all the same you see
The force of conformity and compliance has erased or suppressed the individual differences, quirks, and idiosyncrasies that make each person unique and valuable.

I go to work each day
I engage in a routine and often mundane job that provides little creativity or fulfillment, but offers financial security and social validation.

And wish my life away
I experience a sense of disillusionment or boredom with my existence, and long for a more purposeful and meaningful life, but feel unable to pursue it.