Better Death Than Rot

So... this is the end of the line?
They want me to bend, to sign, to whine...
I look at my reflection... and I laugh.

The clock is ticking, ticking, ticking on the wall
They offer golden cages, but I see the fall
A puppet with a smile, a king without a crown
I'd rather eat the bullet than let them tear me down
The compromise is poison, the middle ground a grave
I signed my name in fire, what they demand I'll never save

They scream: "Be rational! It's just a simple game!"
But rational is treason, it's pouring acid on the flame
I feel the cold steel kissing at my spine
This choice is only mine...

BETTER DEATH THAN ROT!
Let the maggots have the spot!
BETTER DEATH THAN ROT!
My integrity is all I've got!
BETTER DEATH THAN ROT!
Strike the hammer, hit the note!
I will sink with my own ship
With a whiskey in my throat!

The priests of modern culture want to wash my filthy brain
They want a quiet servant, dancing in the acid rain
But I'm the rusty razor, I'm the splinter in your eye
The more you try to fix me, the more you'll watch me die
My bones will spell the story, my skull will wear the grin
Of a man who didn't falter when they tried to pull him in

They whisper: "Compromise! Just bow your fucking head!"
But bowing is for cowards, I'd rather be the dead
The lever's pulled, the axe is swinging free
This is my destiny...

BETTER DEATH THAN ROT!
Let the maggots have the spot!
BETTER DEATH THAN ROT!
My integrity is all I've got!
BETTER DEATH THAN ROT!
Strike the hammer, hit the note!
I will sink with my own ship
With a whiskey in my throat!

When I'm six feet under, and the worms have had their feast
They'll dig me up and ask me: "Have you changed your mind at least?"
I'll answer with a rattle, a skeletal "No deal!"
The principles are iron... the flesh is just a peel!

BETTER DEATH THAN ROT!
Say my name and take a shot!
BETTER DEATH THAN ROT!
This is the final, fucking plot!
BETTER DEATH THAN ROT!
FADE OUT...
...I will sink with my own ship...
...and I'll never stop!... rot.