Old World Blues

[Intro] They said the world was shining bright Neon dreams and chrome delight Glasses raised, the radio sings About better days and golden things [Verse 1] I wore my best suit, kissed my wife The paper said we’re winning life Cars like rockets, smiles so wide A perfect future, advertised The jukebox played a velvet tune While shadows stretched across the noon No one heard the warning cry Just laughter painting over lies [Chorus] So smile for the camera, hold your glass tight The sun is rising a little too bright Flash like heaven, roar like a god The future falls in burning applause We danced as the sky turned white Love songs drowned in nuclear light History ends in a final bloom When the world goes quiet At twenty-two minutes past noon [Verse 2] They sold us peace in red and blue Said fear was something others do Duck and cover, trust the plan A shiny lie for modern man Velvet voices on the air Said don’t you worry, don’t despair But under steel and painted smiles The countdown ticked for miles and miles [Chorus] So smile for the camera, hold your glass tight The sun is rising a little too bright Flash like heaven, roar like a god The future falls in burning applause We danced as the sky turned white Love songs drowned in nuclear light History ends in a final bloom When the world goes quiet At twenty-two minutes past noon [Bridge] The singer croons, so smooth, so slow As fire blooms below No more tomorrow, no encore Just ash where cities stood before [Verse 3] Now silence hums like broken steel A lullaby the dead can feel Melting clocks and burning rain A kingdom built on bone and flame The music fades, the needle bends This is how the old world ends Not with a scream, but with a tune A final note beneath the mushroom plume [Final Chorus] So smile for the camera, history’s done The world died laughing under the sun Flash like heaven, roar like a god Nothing survives the nuclear applause We danced as the sky turned white Dreams erased in nuclear light Remember this sweet, doomed croon We went to hell Humming a tune [Outro] Please stand by…