There's a delicate balance
Of what follows fashion
As peer pressure unravels
An adolescent pattern
You and your friends all like to ride bikes
And we did too
You like to sport the latest hairstyles
And we did too
And we know that all teenage boys fight
And we did too
And you think you were the first on your block
To carry a knife?
Well back in the day we did too
Ah, this is where the problem lies
For this is the question
That plagues younger minds
It's all too easy for us older generations
To confer and surmise
That the violence of today
Never occurred in our times but
I think things have changed
Heavier drugs are being blazed
Perceptions have rearranged
Strange wars are being waged around the planet
Sending the message
If you want it then grab it
The pen may be indeed mightier than the sword
But the sword makes its point sweetly doing damage
Such is the delicate balance
That translates into high streets
This world is ruled by the mighty
And no one admires the weak
No one admires defeat
No one cares about the meek
So violence is the language
That we all reliably speak
As every day we seek headlines
Of sensationalised crimes
And newspapers offer up
More space to advertise
As a campaign issue its hot
And even politicians realise
That there's more to the pressure in the pot
That takes so many lives
And makes so many mothers cry
And scream the question why
Was it their child in that night in that fight
That had to die and
Die for what?
Some trivial misunderstanding
That could easily be stopped?
Some petty argument fueled
When tempers run hot?
Or over what someone's got
Or forced pride that's been mocked
So the outcome was the fist fight
Or the night sky being ignited by the gun shot
That person's got the latest pair of Nikes
And I want some too
That person's got a father in their family
And I want one too
That person's got oil in their country
And I want some too
You say that you got hatred for me?
Well I've got some too
There's a delicate balance
Over what follows fashion
As peer pressure unravels
An interesting pattern
An interesting challenge
Of how we choose to live our lives
Are we floating peacefully
On the wings of a dove
Or are we all perched weeping
On the edge of a knife?
Are we all perched weeping
On the edge of a knife?