They Think They Are Free—But For How Long?

How authoritarian regimes fool their supporters—until the cost comes due

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

(Verse 1)
They cheer in the streets, they wave their flags high
A strong hand to guide them, a savior, a lie
They whisper the slogans, they chant with the crowd
But don’t raise a question—don’t think it too loud

(Pre-Chorus)
Step by step, the lines start to blur
Truth fades to static, justice deferred
The doors close tighter, the walls start to lean
The past gets rewritten on glowing screens

(Chorus)
They think they are free—but for how long?
When silence is safety and right is now wrong
The cages aren’t built all at once in a day
You wake up too late when there’s no way away

(Verse 2)
The papers go missing, the voices fall still
The cameras are watching, they bend to His will
A judge speaks the truth, and they tear down his name
While those who kneel deeper rise up in His game

(Pre-Chorus)
Step by step, the fever runs high
The rules keep on changing, no one asks why
They swallow the poison, they welcome the chains
Believing they’re winning while losing the game

(Chorus)
They think they are free—but for how long?
When power decides what’s right and what’s wrong
They’re building the gallows, they don’t see the noose
By the time they wake up, there’s nothing to choose

(Bridge – Soft and Haunting)
The past is a lesson they won’t ever read
The warning was given, but drowned out in greed
One day they’ll wonder why doors never bend
Why questions are danger and whispers offend

(Chorus – Climactic, Full Band)
They think they are free—but for how long?
When fear is their anthem and power their song
A kingdom of mirrors, a palace of chains
A world built on echoes of old, bloody names

(Outro – Stripped Down, Reflective)
They think they are free... but the lie’s wearing thin
When they come for the rest, they’ll come for them too in the end...