Great Acceleration

Tyranny steps lightly
One foot before the next
You never hear the marching
Till it's coming up the steps
The temporary measures
Of a nation in distress
A choice between two evils
One of duty or regret

And tyranny advances
Like the darkening of night
And when it's for the greater good
You don't put up a fight
If blind to the beginnings
You cannot see the end
This is the nearsightedness
Of ordinary men

And then a great accеleration
The beating of a drum
Thе awful recognition
Of all you have become

And tyranny speaks calmly
As it offers up a deal
Even as it presses you
Underneath its heel
A temporary measure
Do you wonder what it meant
What you have surrendered to
Without dissent

And then a great acceleration
The beating of a drum
The awful recognition
Of all you have become
Of all you have become