Bad Religion - Portrait of Authority Lyrics

Nothing more, nothing less,
An icon on the wall, decoration and duress,
That which many strive to be,
It's the marble statue staring over me,
And nobody has the will to tear it down,
It determines wrong and right,
But to me it's just a stereotype
And it makes us lose our sight.

The portrait of authority (portrait of authority),
You tell me that's what I'm supposed to be (portrait of authority),
You tell me that's what I'm supposed to be.

Another time, another man,
An oppressive intrusion
And a plague across his land,
And it haunts him every day,
It tells him that he has no chance
His hope just fades away,
And he lives his life prepared to tear it down,
But he can't muster the support,
And to him it's just a stereotype
Of his life-long fight.

The portrait of authority (portrait of authority),
It embodies what he cannot be (portrait of authority),
It's what he cannot be.
The portrait of authority (portrait of authority),
Portrait of authority.