The Highest Virtue (20K Version)

Lao Tzu, the Chinese philosopher, said
"The highest virtue is not virtue, and therefore, really is virtue."
But inferior virtue cannot let go of being virtue
Therefore, is not virtue
Translated in more of a paraphrastic way

[Chorus]
The highest virtue is not conscious of itself as virtue
And therefore, really is virtue
The highest virtue is not conscious of itself as virtue
And therefore, really is virtue
Lower virtue is so self-conscious that it's not virtue
That it's not virtue
Lower virtue is so self-conscious that it's not virtue
That it's not virtue

In other words, when you breathe
You don't congratulate yourself on being virtuous, but breathing is a great virtue
It's living
It's living
When you come out with beautiful eyes, blue or brown or green, as the case may be
You don't congratulate yourself for having grown one of the most fabulous jewels on Earth
They're just eyes
And you don't account it to virtue, to see, to entertain the miracles of color and form
You say, “Well, that’s just…”
But that's real virtue
Real virtue
Real virtue
Real virtue

[Chorus]
The highest virtue is not conscious of itself as virtue
And therefore, really is virtue
The highest virtue is not conscious of itself as virtue
And therefore, really is virtue
Lower virtue is so self-conscious that it's not virtue
That it's not virtue
Lower virtue is so self-conscious that it's not virtue
That it's not virtue

Virtue in the sense, the old sense of the word, is strength
As when we talk about the healing virtue of a plant
That's real virtue
But the other virtues are stuck on
They're ersatz
They're imitation virtues, and they usually create trouble
Because more diabolical things are done in the name of righteousness
And be assured that everybody of whatever nationality or political frame of mind, or religion, always goes to war with a sense of complete rightness
The other side is the devil. Our opponents, whether in China or Russia or Vietnam, have the same feeling of righteousness about what they're doing as we have on our side
And a plague on both houses
Because as Confucius said, "The goody-goodies are the thieves of virtue."
Of virtue
The goody-goodies are the thieves of virtue
The goody-goodies are the thieves of virtue
The goody-goodies are the thieves of virtue

Which is the form of our own proverb
The road to hell is paved with good intention