Desert Island Questionnaire
Conor Oberst
[Verse 1]
Say that you were stranded on a desert island
What books you gonna bring?
What friends would tag along?
Say you had a month, you knew you were dying
How'd you spend your time?
What goodbyes would take too long?
You don't like this game and you take exception
Who wants all this trouble, even hypothetical?
With the charging sky above
And the ground below that could swallow everyone

[Verse 2]
Staring at your phone at another party
Spend a lot on clothes, got a lot of skin to show
People in the pool like a drowning army
Smoke alarm emotes and the hotel lobby glows
Wish that you could dance, but you got no partner
Keep tapping on your glass 'cause you wanna make a toast
To the ennui of our times
To the selfishness in everyone you know
[Chorus 1]
Made a lot of friends, but they can't be trusted
Don't know what their angle is
Post up at the bar and I'm double-fistin'
Talking to a mannequin
I don't know what it means when he takes my pulse
And says that I'm a lot like him
I say, "that's fair enough
That's why I'm tryin' to loosen up"

[Verse 3]
In every lunatic must be well-intentioned
Sets himself apart, he's an instrument of god
I took her from the playground to the farmhouse cellar
Kissed her while he killed her like a good Samaritan
They finally found her body many Autumns after
Interviewed her mother, said, "She'd now be 21
And although we lost her young
I know the good lord has a plan for all of us"

[Chorus 2]
Mormons at the door, they look clean and handsome
Always have a good sales pitch
Your little sister swears that she can read my aura
But I can't take her serious
Need something to blame for this human nature
Is that what this condition is?
I'm so bored with my life, but I'm still afraid to die
[Chorus 3]
Everyone's asleep in this burning building
And I can't wake 'em up in time
You go on ahead, I'll be right behind you
We're headed to the finish line
I can't get closer till this is over

[Verse 4]
Pretend that you were stranded on a desert island
What would be the message that you'd spell out for the plane?
Say the engine failed when that plane was flyin'
If you were the pilot, would you curse or would you pray?
No one's gonna cry at this John Doe funeral
Not a lot to say, didn't even have a name
Light a candle just in case he was someone's friend
Throw some flowers on the grave
Write the lyrics for a rock song made in 2014, titled "Desert Island Questionnaire", by artist "Conor Oberst".