what's the point of fame    except to reinforce the social hierarchies we oppose    what's the point of a name    if it just becomes something that you drop    when you feel insecure    and you're not sure    if everybody in the room will have heard of your band before    and you're on tour    and haven't seen a friend in at least a couple of days    let me count the ways that i abuse the privilege    granted to me by this mandolin    and my white skin that bought me my first guitar    everybody told me boy you're bound to be a star    oh yes you are    boy you're bound to be a star    and like every major threat    they somehow find a way to buy it    they co-opt what we create    while they get rich and we deny it    the TV tells us there are stars and fans    and there's just one way to make it    follow the label's rules    use the master's tools    and when the big deal comes you take it    you're selling hope to angry kids    who think that you're the only ones    who sing about what makes them sad    who understand the way they feel    that's just cuz your label pays    for multi-colored tour posters    so no one ever hears about    the kids doing it for real    and i'm so tired of these anarchist celebrities    selling $10 shrinkwrapped CDs    full of paper made from old growth trees    and i know that we all have our hipocrisies    this isn't about purity or punk rock points    it's about taking back what's left of our ideals    and trading in our egos for our dreams    and if i start to act like them    please call me on my shit    cuz sometimes i get jealous    i'll be the first one to admit    i've been brainwashed all my life    and now i'm trying to think for myself    i think that i might need your help