see thomas jefferson on the eve of bunker hill writing words to die for writing sentences to kill they ve come to paint his portrait so he grabs a chair and sits as the surgeon orders cotton for a thousand tourniquets for god and country for us and them every good idea kills at least a thousand men at least a thousand men see the able bodied christian in a dark and savage land turn all those who will listen that god was once a man through needles eye so narrow he will lead them four by four he s got nine hundred shackles he needs at least a hundred more a thousand men a thousand men every good idea kills at least a thousand men at least a thousand men see the able bodied student in his laboratory coat whispering calculations like prayers stuck in his throat soon he will discover some flawless medicine but right now he needs an oven that holds at least a thousand men some are the means some are the ends every good idea kills at least a thousand men at least a thousand men one thousand one one thousand one every man i know thinks that he s one thousand one nine hundred nine his day is done every man i know thinks that he s one thousand one i know i m one thousand one