Lie Detector

(album: Bedtime For Democracy - 1986)

We have reviewed your yellow form
Congratulations! we find you qualified
You have just the right capacity
For putting up with our nonsense
There's just one thing you've got to prove
We know how you must be dishonest and lazy
If you're so desperate
You actually want to work at this place

[Chorus:]
You must be guilty (lie detector)
Guilty (lie detector)
Guilty (lie detector)
Guilty 'til you're proven innocent

These days
Blood pressure clamps around your arms
Now don't get nervous when we yell in your face
We know you steal Just who do you screw?
With what?!
With who?!?
Aren't you a Christian?!?!?
The polygraph-don't make it move
One little twitch, the anvil drops on you
Don't matter if you told the truth
We want your facial egg for our file

[Chorus]

Guilty-'til proven innocent
Guilty-It says so on your face
Guilty-When you try to find a place to live or a job that pays
Guilty-When you file a complaint against the cop that kicked your face last night
Guilty-It says so on page 3
Guilty-Who'd think a guy like me would plant drugs in your car
Break in your house while you're asleep
Open your mouth, bet your ass you're watched
And it's your word against ours...
Yeah, just because we're hiring you
That don't mean we trust you at all
You'll have to take a test like this
Once or twice EVERY week
We know machines, they make mistakes
Yeah, it's your word against our dead black box
The machine is always right
'Cause we know how it makes you feel so small
Because you're guilty (lie detector)
'Til you're proven innocent these days
No one's innocent these days
'Cause when you're innocent it just don't pay