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The Petition Song

from Ain't It a Pity? by Sam Steffen

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lyrics

When your employer works you harder than you’re paid to
And you can’t ask for a raise cause you’re afraid to
And your money can’t be spent on anything except the rent
And you pray it will relent but nothing saves you

Hurry up, don’t wait
Don’t you flinch or hesitate
You got one chance to change your fate, it can’t be missed
If you got reason to complain
Against your labor or your pain
Step forth and put your name down on this list

When the doctor asks to see a form of payment
Fore he’ll lift a broken man up off the pavement
And he’ll tell you with a smile you only need to rest a while
And then he’ll charge you for what he calls the entertainment

Chorus

When the judge seldomer forgives than incarcerates
And crime numbers are inconsistent with arrest rates
And if you can’t afford the fine, you’ll have to do the time
For holding drugs that have been legalized in some states

Chorus

When money’s the only way to climb the ladder
And the fat cats at the top keep getting fatter
And the poor folk and the bums, everybody on the bottom rung
Have been told from early on that they just don’t matter

Chorus

When your rights have been put up on the block for auction
And they’d sooner shoot than speak to take precaution
And non-resistance no longer is the way to go
On account of it no longer is an option

Chorus

credits

from Ain't It a Pity?, released July 31, 2016

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Sam Steffen Boise, Idaho

Sam Steffen is a Pennsylvania-bred, Boise-based singer-songwriter whose songs are the torch-wood for a new generation of folk music that has learned from the best stuff in the tradition and aims in spite of everything to keep the human spirit alive and kicking. A versatile musician and skilled finger-picker, Sam is at heart a story-teller, and a prolific one. ... more

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