First As Tragedy

Ad infinitum Ad nauseam Ad absurdum It never ends Violence breeds only more violence (death breeding death) While hatred breeds hatred that cannot be sated (mercy breeds only contempt) It's all against all, it's us versus them Divided we fall, into a hell of our own making First as tragedy, than as farce History repeats itself and we learn nothing It begins again The words may change but the story has only one end Men become beasts, and beasts become men Age after age it shall be, as age after age is has been The past becomes the future, prologue becomes prophecy The follies and crimes, and misfortunes of mankind Form a litany of infamy and moral compromise First as tragedy, then as farce History repeats itself and we learn nothing It's a vicious cycle, an endless downward spiral A race towards the bottom That no-one ever wins Our knives are long but our memories are short And only the dead will see the end of war They say the road to hell is paved With all of our mistakes And the best laid plans we've made But failed to follow And those who will not listen To the history we've written Are destined to repeat them Until the end of days