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Checking the Arithmetic Lyrics by Dave Stringer

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If life were a cool calculation
Where all of the numbers compute
Then one could sum all of creation
And reduce it all down to the root

But my mind is a multiplication
Of chance and illusion and doubt:
I'm confused and impatient
A fool at foundation
I never will figure it out

Am I just a mutation with a curious urge?
An endless vexation, a mistake that recurs?
A singular statistic, a product of the dice?
Checking the arithmetic, it's not quite right...

I questioned a mathematician:
My life is uncertain and strange
Tell me what of the human condition
Can the priesthood of science explain?
She said: life is a state of transition
A pattern of chaos and change:
Of loss and division
And love insufficient
To answer the problem of pain

Am I just a tangle of jumping nerves
Or a point on a line describing a curve
I'm baffled beyond logic
And searching for insight
Checking the arithmetic and it's not quite right...

If I only know what I am feeling
And can't prove the world outside
Then standing or kneeling
Or staring at the ceiling
You've gotta have faith as your guide

The world of sensation
Is a puzzling equation
A persistent hallucination
So you've gotta have faith as your eye...

Am I just an ache in a painful world
Dreaming awake in a reciprocal blur
Flickering in physics' cinema of sight?
Checking the arithmetic, it's not quite right....

About “Checking the Arithmetic” by Dave Stringer

Read the complete lyrics to "Checking the Arithmetic" by Dave Stringer. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop.

"Checking the Arithmetic" is performed by Dave Stringer. This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Checking the Arithmetic", explore more songs by Dave Stringer using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Dave Stringer · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Checking the Arithmetic" is credited to Dave Stringer. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

Album information for "Checking the Arithmetic" is not available in our database yet. You can still read the full lyrics on this page.

Visit the Dave Stringer artist page at /artist/dave-stringer for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.


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