'One nation under God' has turned into
One nation under the influence of one drug

Television, the drug of the nation
Breedin' ignorance an' feedin' radiation
On television, the drug of the nation
Breedin' ignorance an' feedin' radiation

TV, its satellite links
Our 'United States of Unconsciousness'
Apathetic, therapeutic an' extremely addictive

The methadone metronome pumpin' out
150 channels, 24 hours a day
You can flip through all of them
An' still there's nothin' worth watchin'

TV is the reason why less than 10 per cent
Of our nation reads books daily
Why most people think Central America means Kansas
Socialism means Unamerican
An' Apartheid is a new headache remedy

Absorbed in its world, it's so hard to find us
It shapes our minds the most
Maybe the mother of our nation should remind us
That we're sittin' too close

To the television, the drug of the nation
Breedin' ignorance an' feedin' radiation
On television, the drug of the nation
Breedin' ignorance an' feedin' radiation

TV is the stompin' ground for political candidates
Where bears in the woods are chased
By Grecian formula'd bald eagles

TV is mechanized politics' remote control
Over the masses
Co-sponsored by environmentally safe gases
Watch for the PBS special

It's the perpetuation of the two party system
Where image takes precedence over wisdom
Where sound bite politics are served
To the fast food culture

Where straight teeth in your mouth are more important
Than the words that come out of it
Race baiting is the way to get selected
Willie Horton or Will he not get elected?

On television, the drug of the nation
Breedin' ignorance an' feedin' radiation
On television, the drug of the nation
Breedin' ignorance an' feedin' radiation

TV, is it the reflector or the director ?
Does it imitate us or do we imitate it?
Because a child watches 1500 murders before he's 12 years old
An' we wonder why we've created a Jason generation
That learns to laugh rather than to abhor the horror

TV is the place where armchair generals
An' quarterbacks can experience first hand
The excitement of video warfare
As the theme song is sung in the background

Sugar sweet sitcoms that leave us with a bad actor taste
While pop stars metamorphosize into soda pop stars
You saw the video, you heard the soundtrack
Well, now go buy the soft drink
Well, the only cola that I support
Would be a Union C.O.L.A., cost of living allowance

On television, the drug of the nation
Breedin' ignorance an' feedin' radiation
On television, the drug of the nation
Breedin' ignorance an' feedin' radiation

Back again, 'new an' improved'
We return to our irregularly programmed schedule
Hidden cleverly between heavy breasted beer
An' car commercials

CNN, ESPN, ABC, BCB, TNT but mostly B.S.
Where oxymoronic language like 'virtually spotless'
'Fresh, frozen', 'light yet filling'
An' 'Military Intelligence' have become standard

TV is a place where phrases are redefined
Like 'recession' to 'necessary downturn'
'Crude oil' on a beach to 'mousse'
'Civilian death' to 'collateral damages'
An' being killed by your own army
Is now called 'Friendly fire'

TV is the place where the pursuit of happiness
Has become the pursuit of trivia
Where toothpaste an' cars have become sex objects
Where imagination is sucked out of children
By a cathode ray nipple
TV is the only wet nurse that would create a cripple

Television, the drug of the nation
Breedin' ignorance an' feedin' radiation
On television, the drug of the nation
Breedin' ignorance an' feedin' radiation

On television, the drug of the nation
Breedin' ignorance an' feedin' radiation
On television, the drug of the nation
Breedin' ignorance an' feedin' radiation