The Ends and the Means (Orchestral Version)

11th century AD, a king says, come to war with me

And never mind thou shalt not kill, we're dealing now with infidels

He raises high his sword and then he charges forth with all his men

And with the blessing of the papacy, in a righteous tongue, he screams

The ends, they justify the means, my friends

Oh, the ends, they justify the means

They tell him a life is nothing more than a weapon in a time of war

And this is the only way we've found to tear these mighty symbols down

In the cockpit now, he starts to steer, so all the world will clearly hear

These once benign flying machines shouting out of TV screens

The ends, they justify the means, my friends

Oh, the ends, they justify the means

And the talking heads are shouting now, working hard to break it down

'Cause reasons get a little blurred when justice is a household word

And as the stations' ratings soar, night vision cameras watch the war

While far across a veil of sea, we cheer the black and flashing greens

The ends, they justify the means, my friends

Oh, the ends, they justify the means

The boss looks down upon it all from his tower's windowed walls

Says, I know how to play this game and everybody knows my name

He preys upon the people's fears and tells them what they want to hear

And they celebrate his victory on the front of tabloid magazines

The ends, they justify the means, my friends

Oh, the ends, they justify the means

He climbed up on a mountain high and spoke to every passerby

Everyone you ever knew is really just a part of you

They see the life you choose to live, and they feel the hope you choose to give

And every word you ever say, you teach the world to live that way

When society had had enough, they beat him down and lifted him up

They crossed his feet and raised his hands, and quietly he whispered then

The means, they justify the ends, my friends

Oh, the means, they justify the ends, my friends

Oh, the means, they justify the ends