Human Capital

Lyrics

It's like a bad dream…

I am in a pen, all dressed the same The Bent are in here with me A light-it flashes quickly I see the number three The others too have numbers Most different from me We stand before a press And force the mandrel down We do this without stopping And never make a sound The minders walk among us Making notes upon a pad

I've tried to track the numbers I've watched them rise and fall One Bent slept through second bell And now he's not here at all Another dropped her mandrel Her number dropped to two She wept-but only briefly Then she was taken too I thought it was performance But no one works less hard I thought it was behavior But they hold all the cards There's whispers of a formula But no one knows the sum The screen just flickers softly And hums to make us numb

People are not numbers You can't reduce a hand to score We built the things that hold this place Before the metrics, masks, and war It's not alignment, charts, or flair It's someone helping someone there No one wants a slogan's grace While friends are vanished Without a trace

This morning I was still a three I kept my pace mechanically I wiped the press, I checked the gate I said no words. I wasn't late But mid-shift brought a subtle tone My chestplate flashed, the digit shone The minders came. I did not run No trial, no form-just marked: "One"

People are not numbers You can't reduce a hand to score We built the things that hold this place Before the metrics, masks, and war It's not alignment, charts, or flair It's someone helping someone there No one wants a slogan's grace While friends are vanished Without a trace

"The scores are calculated fairly" "Based on factors we don't share" "The system knows what's needed" "So stay focused. Just do more\!" "Questions show misalignment" "Your pain serves the greater gain"

People are not numbers You can't reduce a hand to score We built the things that hold this place Before the metrics, masks, and war It's not alignment, charts, or flair It's someone helping someone there No one wants a slogan's grace While friends are vanished Without a trace

No reason given. No mistake Just hands that guide and eyes that take No farewells, no one allowed The floor resumes. The heads stay bowed I was a name. I was a hand Now I am dust inside the plan The screen goes dark The door slides wide And I am nothing now