218: Outlaws by Design
In a surveillance society we're all outlaws
(Key of A, fingerpicked or rambling harp optional)
[Verse 1]
There’s a lens in the lamplight, a hum in the wire
A record gets written each time you perspire
They say “follow the rules,” but don’t draw the line
So we drift into sin just by bein' alive
[Verse 2]
I knew a girl who downloaded a movie one night
Now her internet’s tapped and her credit ain’t right
Her brother took half of her Ativan stash
To sleep through a shift in a room full of ash
There’s a man with a minivan parked by the bay
Got priced out of housing but still works every day
And the cop tapped his glass, said “you best move along”
He said “I’m just sleeping, I ain't done nothing wrong”
[Chorus]
We’re outlaws by design, not mistake nor will
Built in a world where survival’s a skill
They watch what you share, they scan what you sign
Ain’t a soul left clean — we’re outlaws by design
[Verse 3]
Teens out on corners, just wasting some time
Get coded as threats by a rich man’s design
Meanwhile a mother crossed over last week
Left war in her wake, now she’s called a sneak
[Chorus]
We’re outlaws by design, not by choice or crime
The system ain’t broken — it’s working just fine
Punish the poor, keep the rich in line
Ain’t a soul left pure — we’re outlaws by design
[Verse 4]
You gave your login to someone you love
They call that a felony up above
You grow food for the neighbours, you hand out supplies
Now you’re flagged as a threat in some office of lies
[Bridge]
They got laws for the landlords, rules for the cops
You break one a day every time your heart stops
You walk, you speak, you help, you dream
Somewhere, somehow, that’s a criminal scheme
[Final Chorus]
We’re outlaws by design, from the roots to the crown
Built in a kingdom that wants to shut us down
But the law don’t define who we are or what’s right —
We’re outlaws by design, and we walk free each night
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