behold, the american idol

the american idol was some guy from guatemala
or honduras, i can't remember exactly
(i got tons of hate mail for that confusion)
let's agree he was from some country in central america
(fascist they called me, the gentler ones)
and he was the winner of a television singing contest

behold, the american idol
thou shalt worship yer teenage deity
let his singing guide us in the darkness

believing hurts
god's been on vacation
for a long time now
enjoying the amenities
of his time share
(god, don't let them fool you into buying an upgrade)

i look around but people have gathered in the arena
to see the idol from a safe distance
i feel alone
i see the dawn of the darkest age
no rat in a cage
no pig on antibiotics
just an outcast
a non believer
the last scum on earth


julian bailey (Tucson, AZ, 1977)