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Circuses Without Bread

from The Great Depression by Torture Garden

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about

‘Circuses Without Bread’ is a song from Torture Garden’s 2013 double album release ‘The Great Depression. Its title refers to ‘bread and circuses’ (from the Latin ‘panem et circuses’), a metaphor for superficial means of appeasement. Usually used in a political and/or social context, it describes the creation of public approval via shallow means of distraction.

lyrics

I mean we’ll scare them
Pay one half to kill the other
Couple of threats go down a treat
Throw in counter-intelligence
Make up any old shit, get me?
Rest assured
The screams will not be heard

I mean we’ll mute them
Make some noise of our own
A real big racket with drumrolls
They love us for it really
Tell them what they want to learn
Rest assured
The screams will not be heard

I mean we’ll distract them
With endless reruns of old wars
If not bread then circuses
Make ‘em squirm in their seats
Sleights of hand lambs shepherd’s pie
Rest assured
The screams will not be heard

Rise assured
The screams will be heard
Rise assured
The screams will be heard
If it’s the last thing I do
With my expiring breath
Rise assured
The screams will be heard

credits

from The Great Depression, released July 1, 2013
Adam Ford - Lyrics, vocals
Matt Ford - Music, guitar, bass, drum programming, samples

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about

Torture Garden Liverpool, UK

Nature spent 4.57 billion years perfecting its design for future Torture Gardeners Adam and Matt Ford, and inhuman society has now added thirty-one and twenty-seven years of development respectively. As you can hear, all this effort has been worth it, and the poisoned fruits of that labour are available for your enjoyment/endurance. ... more

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