This story's pretty swell
Love picking up the tells
About the hidden truths
Between the lines, it's true
But then I go and read
All about the writer's screeds
Where he's so mad about
Our theories, what the hell?

"Not there" says the author
"Thought that I'd told ya
Not there" says the author
Didn't mean what we see

Been through this thing before
I was totally sure
That I'd picked up the strains
Of what the pages meant

"Not there" said the author
"Made it plain for ya
Not there" said the author
What we see, huge misread

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

Pretend they're dead (it's death of the author)
It's death of the author (screw what they told ya)
Oh-ooh, they don't control you, own you, no truth (it's death of the author)
Oh-ah, ah-oh-oh-oh-ah (you can read what you read)
It's death of the author (ah-ooh-ooh-ooh)
They don't control ya (la-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
It's death of the author
Now you see
It's death of the author
Their words can't stop ya
It's death of the author
Now you see what you see