[Silence]
[Instrumental Intro: Piano, Deep Sub-Bass Synth, Acoustic Guitar, Organ, Saxophone, Drums, Electric Guitar, Percussion]
[Intro]
Order the drums!
(Bring up the brass!)
Another headline!
(Another pass!)
Who’s keeping score?
(There’s always more!)
And who’s supposed to answer
When the cannons roar?
[Verse 1]
There’s a man behind the podium
With a finger on the switch
He can call it peace and order
While the consequences twitch
He can dress it up in patriotism
He can wrap it in a flag
But the truth keeps coming knocking
With a body in the bag
There’s a lawyer with a question
There’s a witness with a name
There’s a mountain of excuses
And a pattern all the same
[Pre-Chorus]
Who gave the order?
(Who paid the price?)
Who counts the children?
(Who rolls the dice?)
[Refrain]
The commander
(Is a repeat offender)
Crimes of war…
(And so much more)
Bombing babies
(Starving kids)
Must have rabies
(Doin’ the devil’s bids)
Repeat offender
(Meet the people’s defender)
After all you do…
(Your dues come due)
[Verse 2]
There’s a city under rubble
There’s a mother in the dust
There’s a hospital without power
There’s a promise turned to rust
There’s a child who needs a blanket
There’s a child who needs a meal
There’s a child who needs a future
More than all that you steal
And the cameras keep on rolling
While the talking heads explain
How the people who were shattered
Are a footnote to the game
[Pre-Chorus]
Who checks the target?
(Who checks the claim?)
Who bears the burden?
(Who takes the blame?)
[Refrain]
The commander
(Is a repeat offender)
Crimes of war…
(And so much more)
Bombing babies
(Starving kids)
Must have rabies
(Doing the devil’s bids)
Repeat offender
(Meet the people’s defender)
After all you do…
(Your dues come due)
[Bridge]
No crown above the law
(No rank beyond review)
No power without limits
(No special pass for you)
[Instrumental]
Who’s accountable?
(Who’s accountable?)
Who’s untouchable?
(Nobody’s untouchable!)
Who gets justice?
(We want justice!)
[Verse 3]
The commander gives a statement
Says the mission’s justified
While the people count their losses
And the wounded try to hide
And the ones who signed the papers
And the ones who pulled the strings
May discover that accountability
Applies to powerful kings
Repeat offender!
(Answer for the record!)
Repeat offender!
(Who protects the unprotected?)
Crimes of war!
(More than anyone before)
[Final Refrain]
The commander
(Is a repeat offender)
Crimes of war…
(And so much more)
Bombing babies
(Starving kids)
Must have rabies
(Doing the devil’s bids)
[Outro]
Repeat offender
(Meet the people’s defender)
After all you do…
(Your dues come due)
Repeat offender!
(The record remembers!)
Repeat offender!
(The law still renders!)
Repeat offender!
(No throne lasts forever!)
After all you do…
(Your dues come due!)
The commander…
(Is a repeat offender)
The people…
(The children will remember)
The law…
(Must answer the call)
No one…
(No one…)
Is above it all.
About the Song
Today’s new release, “Repeat Offender,” sadly, could be about far too many people in positions of power. It was inspired by the children in Gaza, the schoolchildren at Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, Hormozgan Province, Iran, and the approximately 700,000 Ukrainian children Russia claims to have taken from their homeland.
The lyrics confront the devastating human cost of war, the use of power without accountability, and the tendency to bury suffering beneath political rhetoric and military justifications. But the song also makes an important distinction: accusations must be investigated, evidence must be examined, and justice must follow the rule of law. No title, uniform, or position of authority should place anyone above accountability.
The refrain, “After all you do… your dues come due,” is a reminder that power does not erase responsibility. Children are not collateral statistics. They are human beings whose lives, families, education, and futures deserve protection.
Please listen, reflect, and share “Repeat Offender.” Speak up for children caught in conflicts they did not choose. Support credible humanitarian organizations working to protect children, provide food and medical care, reunite separated families, and document violations of international law. Demand transparency, independent investigations, and accountability for those responsible, regardless of their nationality, political affiliation, or position.
Silence makes it easier to look away. Our voices can help keep the victims visible and remind those in power that the world is watching.
From the album “Social Truth“