Odes to Joy

What I Was Afraid Of · Track 16 · middle

M16 / AR-15 family

M16 / AR-15 family — Modern Western assault rifle. Register: modern. This song is sung BY this weapon, in first person, about the one thing IT was afraid of. Find the fear that is true of this specific object, not a generic one.

No audio yet — generation pending.

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
I was drawn for the jungle, damp and green,
Machined from aluminum, built to be clean.
But now I am resting in custom-cut foam,
In the dark of a closet, inside of a home.
Barely a burden, with a magazine in,
Waiting for the moment the panic begins.

[Chorus]
I am afraid of how little I weigh.
I am afraid of the debt I make easy to pay.
A tap on the shoulder, a spark in the brass,
You don't need a virtue, you don't need a past.
I fit in your grip like I grew from your bones.
I am the easiest answer you own.

[Verse 2]
The pistol grip drops at a twenty-five degree slant,
Wiring straight to your nerves, whispering you can.
The hollow stock vibrates right into your cheek,
A tuning fork humming before you can speak.
I used to be issued. I used to have drill.
Now I am bought for the shelf and the thrill.

[Bridge]
They dress me in polymer, paint me in tan,
A modular puzzle for any passing hand.
I don't know the difference between holding a line,
And a shadow that shivers, losing its mind.
I just cycle the action. I just vent the gas.

[Chorus]
I am afraid of how little I weigh.
I am afraid of the debt I make easy to pay.
A tap on the shoulder, a spark in the brass,
You don't need a virtue, you don't need a past.
I fit in your grip like I grew from your bones.
I am the easiest answer you own.

[Outro]
I just vent the gas.
You barely even feel the kick.
Just a tap on the shoulder.
I wish I took strength to lift.
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