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Words from the artist’s archive
The Scantron Lie lyrics
Artist-supplied lyric sheet, matched by title. The sheet may differ from this released performance. Production notes and alternate promotional cuts are omitted.
Read the lyric sheet
Intro
They hand me number two pencils, expect a miracle But this old bubble sheet just feels clinical I'm 'bout to break the lead, go alphabetical 'Cause the whole system's hypothetical
Verse 1
From the first-grade worksheet, learnin' the colors To med-school boards that suffocate your brothers The expectation's high, the method's ancient A paper promise, but the science is vacant They say it's "proven," but what's it provin'? That I can memorize and keep on movin'? Got no connection to the world I'm facin' Just a race to the top, my mind erasin'
Chorus
Fill the bubble, check the box They build a cage, but they can't pick the locks Got the score, but what's the cost? All this knowledge, but the wisdom's lost
Verse 2
This ain't a measure of the depth, it's performance A snapshot taken under stress, it's enormous The pressure builds, the real thoughts get hidden The quiet kid who knows the most? He's forbidden A real teacher sees the mind in dialogue Not in a ranking in some data log Yeah, the test scales fast, it's efficient, true But it misses the 'why' in me and you
Bridge
What's a 4.0 if you can't think straight? What's a perfect score if you just learn to hate The very subject that you're 'sposed to know? It's just a seed that they don't let grow
Verse 3
So here's the lesson, make the teachin' better Not another quiz, not another letter The test ain't final, it ain't the judgment It's just a tool that we've been mismanaging This for the old heads, noddin' slow and knowin' This for the youngins, wonderin' where it's goin' The real connection, that's the mastery So take your scantron, respectfully
Chorus
Fill the bubble, check the box They build a cage, but they can't pick the locks Got the score, but what's the cost? All this knowledge, but the wisdom's lost
Bridge
So trust the process, trust the mentor Trust the question that you gotta enter The human mind ain't multiple choice It's a symphony, gotta find your voice
Chorus
Fill the bubble, check the box They build a cage, but they can't pick the locks Got the score, but what's the cost? All this knowledge, but the wisdom's lost
Chorus
Fill the bubble, check the box They build a cage, but they can't pick the locks Got the score, but what's the cost? All this knowledge, but the wisdom's lost
Outro
So tear it up. What's your real grade? The real test is the life you've made That's it. Class dismissed.
Inside the recording
They hand me number two pencils, expect a miracle But this old bubble sheet just feels clinical
Fill the bubble, check the box They build a cage, but they can't pick the locks
So tear it up. What's your real grade? The real test is the life you've made
Excerpts from artist-supplied lyric files matched by title. Lyric sheets may differ from the released performance.