The Truth is a Virus

Ten o’clock…
Ninety-two FM…
Whitebread Land, are you listening?

The truth is a virus, virus, virus,
Shut us down, but you can’t keep us quiet.
Talk hard, steal the air,
Turn the dial up higher—
The truth is a virus,
The truth is a virus.

Ten o’clock and the red light glows,
Wild Cherry can by the radio,
Ninety-two FM where nobody knows,
One quiet kid with a voice that grows.
Neat front lawns and a town after dark,
Homework waiting but the airwaves spark,
Everybody knows, but nobody starts—
So. be. it. — switch it on, talk hard.

Bootleg tapes in the schoolyard hands,
Spray-painted words across Whitebread Land,
You can cut the wire, you can chase the car,
But a voice gets loud when it travels far.

The truth is a virus, virus, virus,
Shut us down, but you can’t keep us quiet.
Talk hard, steal the air,
Turn the dial up higher—
The truth is a virus,
The truth is a virus.

Perfect school with a polished name,
Push the wrong kids out to protect the grade,
Local news needs somebody to blame,
Blue lights flashing at the end of the lane.
No more hiding, let the real voice through,
One bootleg tape turns one into two,
From one red light to a hundred new—
Steal the air, let them hear the truth.

Why-bother generation—not tonight,
Hang on, hang in, keep the signal bright,
From a basement whisper to a town-wide choir,
Pass the word and pass the fire.

Talk hard!
Steal the air!
Talk hard!
Everywhere!

The truth is a virus, virus, virus,
Shut us down, but you can’t keep us quiet.
Talk hard, steal the air,
Turn the dial up higher—
The truth is a virus
The truth is a virus, virus, virus,
Shut us down, but you can’t keep us quiet.
Talk hard, steal the air,
Turn the dial up higher—
The truth is a virus,
The truth is a virus.

Kill one signal, ten more come around…
The truth is a virus…
Talk hard.