(Verse 1)
MSL adjusts his tie in the mirrored glass
Watching the city and the seasons pass
A briefcase of contracts, a soul made of stone
He works the high rises, then retreats alone
To a house with a silence that’s heavy and deep
Where the secrets are cold and the promises keep
He boots up the console, the startup chime rings
A digital king of his electronic things.
(Chorus)
Ten games to a system, a line in the sand
The rule of the house, the law of the hand
Three hours of gaming, then down to the floor
To the ten hollow shadows behind the steel door
MSL is a master of balance and grain
One half is the pleasure, one half is the pain.
(Verse 2)
The flight out to Denver, the meetings in Rome
But the hunger is waiting for him back at home
He curates the library, disc by thin disc
The tenth slot is filled with a calculated risk
From the glow of the plasma to the damp of the vent
He counts out the minutes of the time he has spent
Then he mutes the TV, and he picks up the tray
The businessman’s ritual at the end of the day.
(Bridge)
(The music drops to a low, rhythmic thud)
One for the Sega, one for the cage
One for the Sony, one for the rage
The hardware is silver, the basement is gray
He feeds them in silence, then turns them away
He’s mapped out the levels, he’s found every key
But the ten in the darkness will never be free.
(Chorus)
Ten games to a system, a line in the sand
The rule of the house, the law of the hand
Three hours of gaming, then down to the floor
To the ten hollow shadows behind the steel door
MSL is a master of balance and grain
One half is the pleasure, one half is the pain.
(Outro)
The screen flickers out. The light fades to red.
Ten games on the shelf. Ten souls to be fed.
MSL sleeps soundly. The ledger is clean.
The man in the suit. The ghost in the machine.