Teach A Rat To Fish

Capo: 1st fret

[Intro]
E               Am                           F
History’s made, then manipulated, then forgotten
                   C
After being repeated, Beaten into us endlessly
E              Am                              F
Until we start believing that there’s no other option
                     C
Until we start believing imprisonment is free
 
[Chorus]
Em                  F                                    C
Sometimes it’s hard to convince ourselves to keep fighting
                    Dm                                Em
Sometimes it’s hard to convince ourselves to keep loving
                    F                                     C
Sometimes it’s hard to convince ourselves to keep breathing
               G
One day we won’t
 
[Verse 1]
E                                     Am
They say “you teach a man to fish and he’ll gut you Meticulously & swift”
        F                                                  C
With a “fuck you” ringing out through his lips... “Used to love you” you think
               E
As blood pools up in your mouth Painting teeth crimson
      Am                                                    F
Fully Knowing that the buds on your tongue ain’t ever gonna taste freedom
Or a nice meal again
       C
You’re not gonna get a bank bailout kid
 
[Verse 2]
E            Am
on your own… Ever seen a heart of gold turn to stone ?
F                                       C
Ever seen a good man sell his soul to a Fed
C
Best friends to the end you were told, Yeah ?
E            Am
On your own… Nothing is taking away the pain of growth
F
Nobody can step into your shoes and know
     C
Even When they try to imitate or clone
 
[Chorus]
Em                  F                                    C
Sometimes it’s hard to convince ourselves to keep fighting
                    Dm                                Em
Sometimes it’s hard to convince ourselves to keep loving
                    F                                     C
Sometimes it’s hard to convince ourselves to keep breathing
               G
One day we won’t
 
[Verse 3]
E
Haven’t felt any fire in a while
       Am
If you love me then please just engulf me in flames
F                            C
Nostalgia thick as Tarkovsky sitting on city hall steps in the rain
E
Buttoned up polo in a court room
Am
Overpriced lawyer in a cheap suit
F
Surely buddy had a lot of words to say
         C
until he got in front of a federal judge that day
 
[Verse 4]
C                                     F
So i wanted to rip every inch of skin off of those slithering snake faces
C                                         Dm
I’ve been holding back screams but the ptsd is just pounding away at me
          Em
as if I’m still feeling gun barrels touching my temples
F                                       C
been in therapy checking the mental But deep in the center of my chest
Is nothingness
G
As I stare into green eyes of a devil
 
[Verse 5]
E                           Am
Their morals are malleable. Greed for power is palpable
F                                            C
Watching prosecutors play a twisted game for victory
With the life of a human being
E                                  Am
Like monopoly Property or puzzles. There’s no proper rebuttal
F
It’s cough up the money up or Shut the fuck up
         C
Now your husband or father is stuck a muzzle
 
[Verse 6]
E
with hundreds of dogs in a hole
Am
Only waiting to get thrown a bone
F
While the wife’s working doubles
                  C
In hopes that the bank won’t go and put a lien on their home
E                                 Am
Even after re-reading the history State violence leaves me in a state of disbelief
F                                         C
Nothing hits a man harder than seeing his family in tears while he’s copping a plea
 
[Chorus]
Em                  F                                    C
Sometimes it’s hard to convince ourselves to keep fighting
                    Dm                                Em
Sometimes it’s hard to convince ourselves to keep loving
                    F                                     C
Sometimes it’s hard to convince ourselves to keep breathing
               G
One day we won’t