Sit Pretty
The Honor System Lyrics

Lines and rows, rows and lines
Referring to the monotony of everyday life, where we go through the same routines and follow the same patterns day after day.

Boundaries you don't dare go outside
Societal norms and expectations that discourage people from venturing outside their comfort zones and questioning the status quo.

Take your beating with a smile
Encapsulating the idea of 'fake it till you make it,' implying that people often have to tolerate hardship and struggle without ever showing it on the surface.

Everything is now for sale
The commodification of everything in modern society, even the intangible aspects of our lives.

What's the price of a stolen life?
A rhetorical question that forces the listener to consider the value of human life and how it can be reduced to a transactional commodity in many contexts.

What's the salary to line up like a soldier?
A critique of systems that demand blind obedience from individuals and equate work with conformity and obedience.

Then march into the sea?
A metaphor that seems to refer to the futility of going along with unfair or oppressive social systems, even when it seems easier to just follow the crowd.

Seen and heard about their new advances
A reference to the rapid pace of technological innovation and the ways that it can create new systems of control and power.

King convenience got a new crown
Describes the way that instant gratification and ease of use have become the highest priorities in many aspects of modern society.

I'd rather be left behind
An expression of a desire to resist or reject these new advances and hold onto traditional ways of living.

Then be a well trained failure
The cost of resisting is often social stigma, ostracization, or even poverty or unemployment - this line highlights the trade-offs people make when trying to resist social norms.

So let's take a commercial break
A tongue-in-cheek reference to how our lives are constantly being interrupted by ads and branding messages.

Pause this masterpiece
Implies that the 'masterpiece' of life - the unpredictable, messy, and chaotic nature of existence - is frequently lost or ignored in the quest for productivity or efficiency.

The only words from our sponsors are ??you can't have anything??
The sponsor's promise of increasing convenience and comfort comes at a steep cost - total surrender to standards, norms, and the ideals of the masses.

There's a window I've been trying to look out There's some scenery I've never seen before
An expression of curiosity and a desire to explore beyond one's preconceived ideas and assumptions.

But a few say this cannot be allowed
An acknowledgement of resistance or pushback against these desires to explore or question society, norms, and expectations.

Keep your heads and hands inside Keep your single file lines
Once again, referring to the strict, oppressive nature of conformity and how it often stifles people's ability to think and act for themselves.

Keep it to yourself
A reminder not to speak out, dissent, or question the status quo because it would upset a delicate balance that many people have grown accustomed to.

Voices said to me You don't need a fucking cubicle to be free
An expression of those inner voices telling the singer they don't need to conform to societal norms to find fulfillment and freedom.

I'll sit all alone and play guitar for hours In this crumbling room I call home now
Despite societal pressure, the artist finds solace in self-expression and creativity, even if it's in the confines of a small, decaying space.

Who's to say that dreams are not allowed Can you understand me now?
A rhetorical question that challenges the idea that dreams and aspirations should be always suppressed and ignored.

I'm screaming it loud
The final line reinforces the importance of self-expression and the need to be heard, even in the face of opposition or rejection.

I step back and take a look in from the outside I see neon signs and traffic lights and lost time
A reflective moment, where the singer takes a step back to observe the world around them and reflect on the emptiness and sense of lostness that exists in the modern world.