Solemn regret
Transgressions fill my head
A measure of success
Is how well to forget
And the past is dead

Strewn about the battlefield of life are the remainders of history
When convenient we exalt them
And pay them such respect
As if we're all in an equivalent trajectory

And trash piles high
In the rubble we forgot
The angels of our nature
Just sit and watch it rot

Now, the past is dead
Let's focus on tomorrow instead
Oh the tragic present said
The past is dead

Who can say what constitutes the most important sector of society?
When the dominant portion
Seek an instant gratification
And are proud of intellectual poverty
I'd like to be
Empathetic, but I can't
The jeopardy's
Too great to make a stand

Now, the past is dead
Good deeds won't help you get ahead
Yeah, the modern signpost read
The past is dead

My next great decision is just lying in wait
My action might turn out to be the world's most grievous mistake
Wach-o!

Yeah, the past is dead
More veritable words have never been read
Oh, the tragic present said, "the past is dead"