Devils Surrogate

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The Dillinger Escape Plan “One Of Us Is The Killer”

Devil made me do it
That is what they will expect to be hearing
At which point, I shall make the following very much clear
He did nothing of the sort

This is not to suggest He was any less than present
But neither did He whisper His instruction in my ear
This is my design
And any legwork put in from this point forth will be unreservedly mine
all mine

It is simply not the Dark Lord’s style
To strong-arm the susceptible into submission
But He will grant permission to act out in His honor
Open our eyes to truly unthinkable horrors
And match stride for stride our ambition

The road to perdition I walk of my own requisition
Free of will unrestricted by burgeoning conscience
Bereft of condition and hard pressed not to listen
As the urge to make murder scenes verges on constant
And I happen to be in touch with a most discreet Mortician

Butchery is my thing you see
Prefer my meat when it’s pink
It tickles me hack, whack and chopping it
And you may wish to sleep with one fretful eye open
As I offer no warning when the time arrives for dropping in
Suffice to say, once I’m slicing away
There really is no stopping me

Am I bad to the core?
Undeniably rotten yes
The sickness runs deep and my need to creep is bottomless
After years in arrears due to matters of inconsequence
My condition has gotten worse
And the telltale signs of a demonized mind are now fairly ominous
For you at least

Devil made me do it
Most likely what they’ll say
But this chosen left-hand path does not lead me astray
Indeed He approached me in the friendliest way
And was never any less than congenial

No deceit in His tone
Just the happiest medium
As He lined up the lambs
With the deftest of hands
And left it up to me whether or not I see fit to start bleeding them

I can see you fearfully receeding
Something I said pray tell?
You will have to speak up
Can’t make you out all that well amidst the unkindly chime of the death knell
Or as I like to call it
Last Bell

It is customary here to bid a fond farewell to the fickle red flesh on your brittle white bones
To reimburse dues, it has served you most well
But you won’t be needing it where you’re going

It’s one thing knowing and entirely another showing
But just so you know that the show will go on
I know very well I’m going to gut you like a pig
And cannot wait to show you how I skin and I split
So best you brace yourself for my well-rehearsed approach shot

Fret not as I am nothing if not humane
Wouldn’t wish to watch you suffer on this or any other day
Your death will be swift and last breaths free of labor
Unless I feel the need for a dash of misbehavior
Make me bat my lashes
And there is no god who can save you
As the Cimmerian shade in my eyes synchronizes each blink with the cruelest of slashes

Devil didn’t make me do it
Those will be my words
I take full responsibility for every last charge incurred
My vision does not blur
There is nothing absurd about my motive this night
Just a need to fulfill my own quota

That’s right
I set myself a bold target
And I regret to inform you that the buck stops right here
So what say you make those last prayers to your Jehovah
And good luck on getting an answer

The Almighty He might be but in the eyes of this beholder
He is little more than the very tiniest of dancers
And in no way iconic
Devil didn’t make me say that by the way
But he did offer up an amen of sorts
Just to be ironic