1. Kill the messengers if we outnumber ‘em.
Kill the messengers no matter what the news is.
Kill the messengers because anything new is cumbersome
So kill the true prince too if the shoe fits.
If the shoe fits, wear it out. Meet your match. Stare him down.
Stiff is the neck of the heavy head that wears the crown.
Stick it out, imagine how it’d look inside a guillotine.
Toward the chopping block is the direction that a leader leans.
There’s a dark side to the burden of authority.
It’s not all self-indulgence and ignoring the majority.
In the basement of the harem there’s an inch of standing water
And the peasants are suddenly sick of being cannon fodder.
Jump, jump, King me. Bring me the head of my rival.
Just because it’s fun don’t mean it’s not for survival.
I will drip blood all through
Every vain attempt at a bloodless coup.
Every dog gets his day, bet your last dollar on it.
You’re here for the demand, let suckers think about supply.
If you liked it, then you should’ve put a collar on it.
If you liked it then you should’ve put a ring around its eye.

Chorus: Beg for! Beg for! Beg-beg for Mercy!
Kneeling, appealing with feeling will not deter me!
Beg for, beg for, beg-beg for a pardon!
No, no reprieves, no breaks, no, no bargains!
M-M-Mercy! Mercy! Everybody beg for it!
Swallow all your pride, genuflect for it, sweat for it!
Beg for, Beg for, Beg-beg for some justice!
Crying, denying, pleading, bleeding: you can’t touch this!

2. King for a day, you decide that you like this.
So you have a statue built in your likeness.
And when the trumpets blow, your subjects bow down.
Next day: they’re burning you in effigy downtown.
Getting fidgety, you want your fifteen minutes.
You decide you gotta take it by force if you’re gonna get it.
The first five are great, the second five are mediocre.
The last five are misery ‘cause you already see its over.
If the people have no bread, let them eat cake.
I know it sounds ridiculous, but it’s not a mistake.
If the people think you’re rational, they no longer fear you
And that’s a bad career move. They want to get near you.
Take some initiative and crack your whip.
Your citizens aren’t gonna line up and ask for it.
But know this: even at the height of your power
You will find graffiti on your ivory tower.
Sire an heir but watch for signs of ambition.
Kill him before he kills you or you die of suspicion.
Found a holiday in his honor to draw out his supporters
And then have your guards gut ‘em when you give ‘em the order!

Chorus: Beg for! Beg for! Beg-beg for Mercy!
Kneeling, appealing with feeling will not deter me!
Beg for, beg for, beg-beg for a pardon!
No, no reprieves, no breaks, no, no bargains!
M-M-Mercy! Mercy! Everybody beg for it!
Swallow all your pride, genuflect for it, sweat for it!
Beg for, Beg for, Beg-beg for some justice!
Crying, denying, pleading, bleeding: you can’t touch this!

3. To err is human, but you’re not human, you’re Royal.
So dissenters get a dipping into boiling oil.
Hold your domain with a reign of terror
And leave the queen for a maid if the maid is fairer.
Hire an interpreter to tell you what your dreams mean.
Spread your royal scent over everything you own.
Hire minstrels to accompany your screaming
In your final moments as you’re dragged from your throne.

Chorus: Beg for! Beg for! Beg-beg for Mercy!
Kneeling, appealing with feeling will not deter me!
Beg for, beg for, beg-beg for a pardon!
No, no reprieves, no breaks, no, no bargains!
M-M-Mercy! Mercy! Everybody beg for it!
Swallow all your pride, genuflect for it, sweat for it!
Beg for, Beg for, Beg-beg for some justice!
Crying, denying, pleading, bleeding: you can’t touch this!

Outro: Mercilessness x4.