Lyrics to Cruel and Unusual Punishment

(These lyrics are from Nonjohn's "Nine Nons Jolt Him Not" album.)

People expect me to take a stand.
They respect me more when I'm a man with a plan.
But I see no reason why I should pretend
to know things I don't just to impress my friends.
To say, "there's a way," just to brighten the day
would be hypocrisy, and that's not me.

So
Give me peace. Give me war.
I don't know what I should fight for.
Just give me love. Give me hate.
Sometimes the answer comes too late.
Just get me out of this place I'm in.
I haven't seen God since I don't know when.
Just get me out of this way I feel.
It's a sword on a thread. It's a rock up a hill.
It's a cruel and unusual punishment,
cruel and unusual punishment.
It's a cruel and unusual punishment
to know that you're alone.
It's a cruel and unusual punishment
to know you're not at home.

I don't want to be classically trained, like Pavlov's dog.
I got better things on my brain to salivate on.
I'm not so discrete as experts believe.
I'm shades of gray, not categories.
So they better not try to standardize me
with standardized tests and answer keys.
Because I don't want to be homogenized
by tunnel vision and special lies,
by microscopic focus,
when there's a whole universe before us.

You better
Give me peace. Give me war.
I don't know what I should fight for.
Just give me love. Give me hate.
Sometimes the answer comes too late.
Just get me out of this place I'm in.
I haven't seen God since I don't know when.
Just get me out of this way I feel.
It's a sword on a thread. It's a rock up a hill.
It's a cruel and unusual punishment,
cruel and unusual punishment.
It's a cruel and unusual punishment
to know that you're alone.
It's a cruel and unusual punishment
to know you're not at home.

Nothing is free, not even the will.
Just the thought of this will get you killed,
for you will know that no one is in control.
Then you will ask, "Where did everyone go?"
Because
We are not the chosen people.
We are not the master race.
We are neither created nor destroyed.
They say, "All we are is reproductive machines,
born with a drive to multiply our genes."
They say, "All we are is another species.
'Ain't no better than the dogs or the trees."
They say, "All we are is a speck
on the continuum of infinity."

Well, then
Give me peace. Give me war.
Somebody tell me what I should fight for.
Just give me love. Give me hate.
Sometimes the answer comes too late.
Just get me out of this place I'm in.
I haven't seen God since I don't know when.
Just get me out of this way I feel.
It's a sword on a thread. It's a rock up a hill.
Just get me out of this place I'm in.
I need a home and I need a friend.
Just get me out of this way I feel.
I don't know what's fake and I don't know what's real.
It's a cruel and unusual punishment,
cruel and unusual punishment.
It's a cruel and unusual punishment
to know that you're not home.
It's a cruel and unusual punishment
to know that you're alone.

Back to the Nonjohn Home Page