Just like everybody else I was learning for myself Just what would make me sick And how the whole world ticks. Then I quickly ran into collusion Left me in a state of confusion. I learned about rationalization And self-righteous indignation From purveyors of hypocrisy Passed off as great philosophy That labeled some as dross, Not fit to be the lowest boss. I watched people get locked out And ignored when they shouted The bosses talking about degrees Driving workers to their knees Because they couldn’t afford College room and board For the four years of beer bashes And drunken month-long crashes In Mexican towns full of them That could go there on a whim While the children of the working class Worked hard so their kids could pass And have a chance to get ahead Instead of a shoveling until dead.
I was learning this first-hand That not all of life was grand If you could not afford to buy. And banks just passed you by When you needed a car Because work was so far From where you had to stay In the neighborhoods far away From the nice neat places And squeaky clean faces Of those who inherited wealth Or were sent to schools That sent out the fools That knew how to look nice. And nobody thought twice When they weren’t quite as bright As the people that had to fight For an opening, then trained So the rich kid could maintain In a job he didn’t qualify for But he had the SAT score To prove he was intelligent And had the proper quotient Whether he could deliver or not. The rest was all just rot. And nobody paid attention Nor would they mention The kid was a well-trained fool And what he learned in class Was how to look good and pass For a person smarter than The average working man. That’s what I learned first-hand And what I came to understand.