A Matter of Habit

[Verse 1]
Learning to kill is a matter of habit
The more you have done it, the better you're at it
It starts on the alleys of Sechem at night
The borderlines blur in the evening light
A rifle butt bangs on an old rusty door
"Where is your father? Get down on the floor!"
Soon it gets serious, a curfew's declared
The city falls silent, there's death in the air
Cocking his weapon with shaking fingers
Grits his teeth as he's hugging the trigger
Young blood rushes, his heart pounds
He knows it gets easier the next time around
They're just objects and shadows, not women and men
Learning to kill is a natural thing

[Verse 2]
Learning to fear is a matter of habit
The more you have done it, the better you're at it
News from above reach the street
There's no hope of living, the end is so near
Tidings of terror, a raven's crow
Shutter your windows, lock up your homes
We're just a handful, a tiny country
Surrounded by evil, they won't let us be
They have hate in their hearts and in all that they bring
Learning to fear is a natural thing

[Verse 3]
Cruelty is a matter of habit
The more you've seen it, the better you're at it
Every boy has a tyrant's desire
Hands behind the head, legs spread wide
These are times of danger, times of despair
No room for compassion, a soldier can't care
Our neighbors are vermin, they're used to the blood
How can they feel pain when they're living in the mud?
Through cruel routine a soldier is born
Ignorance soon turns to evil in war
Israel's land is for Israel's kin
Cruelty comes as a natural thing

[Verse 4]
Learning to love is a natural thing
It will find a way if you just let it in
It will be strange at first, but then you'll see it
That learning to love is a matter of being
Being human is a matter of habit
A few baby steps, then you get better at it
To be for one minute, just now, just recall
The opposite side of the towering walls
But our hearts have hardened along with our skin
We built a bubble and let no one else in
We'll be staring in wonder as the angel falls
Then being human will be a matter of course
Will be a matter of course