Charles Bukowski, Akira The Don - The Genius of the Crowd lyrics

The genius of the crowd (Akira)
There is enough
Treachery, hatred, violence, absurdity
In the average human being
To supply any given army on any given day
Any given army on any given day
And the best at murder
Are those who preach against it
And the best at hate
Are those who preach love
And the best at war finally
Are those who preach peace

Those who preach God need God
Those who preach peace, do not have peace
Those who preach love, do not have love
Beware the preachers beware the knowers

Beware those who are always reading books
Beware those who either detest poverty
Or are proud of it


Beware those quick to praise
For they need praise in return
Beware those quick to censor
They are afraid of what they do not know
Beware those who seek constant crowds
They are nothing alone
Beware the average man the average woman
Beware their love their love is average
Seeks average but there is genius
In their hatred
There is enough genius in their hatred
To kill you, to kill anybody
Not wanting solitude
Not understanding solitude
They will attempt to destroy
Anything that differs from their concept

Those who preach God need God
Those who preach peace, do not have peace
Those who preach love, do not have love
Beware the preachers beware the knowers

Not being able to create art
They will not understand art
They will consider their failure as creators
Only as a failure of the world
Not being able to love fully
They will believe your love incomplete
And then they will hate you
And their hatred will be perfect
Like a shining diamond like a knife
Like a mountain, like a tiger, like hemlock
Their finest art

Those who preach God need God
Those who preach peace, do not have peace
Those who preach love, do not have love
Beware the preachers beware the knowers