The Answer Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Long ago in a dusty village full of hunger, pain, and strife
A man came forth with a vision of truth and the way to a better life
He was convinced he had the answer and he compelled people to follow along
But the hunger never vanished and the man was banished
And the village dried up and died

[Verse 2]
At a time when wise men peered
Through glass tubes toward the sky
The heavens changed in predictable ways
And one man was able to find
That he had thought he found the answer
And he was quick to write his revelation

But as they were scrutinized in his colleagues eyes
He soon became a mockery

[Chorus]
Don't tell me about the answer, 'cause then
Another one will come along soon
I don't believe you have the answer
I've got ideas, too
But if you've got enough naivety
And you've got conviction
Then the answer is perfect for you
[Guitar Solo]

[Verse 3]
An urban sprawl sits choking on its discharge
Overwhelmed by industry
Searching for a modern day savior from another place
Inclined toward charity
Everyone begging for an answer without
Regard to validity
The searching never ends, it goes on and on
And on for eternity

[Bridge]
Ah, ah, ah, ah-ah, ah
Ah, ah, ah, ah-ah, ah

[Chorus]
Don't tell me about the answer, 'cause then
Another one will come along soon
I don't believe you have the answer
I've got ideas too
But if you've got enough naivety
And you've got conviction
Then the answer is perfect for you
(The answer is perfect for you)

How to Format Lyrics:

  • Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus
  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
  • Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
  • Use italics (<i>lyric</i>) and bold (<b>lyric</b>) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
  • If you don’t understand a lyric, use [?]

To learn more, check out our transcription guide or visit our transcribers forum

About

Genius Annotation

In 1993 Greg Graffin said it was his favorite song.

Brett’s take on recording The Answer: “Greg took a stab at a solo on this song and it sucked. So I did a solo. I was really insulted that he even wanted to try.”

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

Comments