[Intro] Put the power on the scale If the balance breaks Then we fail The whole nation fails [Verse 1] GOP picked the man For the second seat Nineteen hundred They won the victory Mark Hanna called him cowboy Said it with a sneer Only one life stood between The White House and the frontier Less than one year later McKinley passed away Teddy took the White House And brought a brand new day Forty two years old Youngest on the stage Progressive drive in his eyes Turning up the page McKinley favored big business Teddy brought reform Government for the public Riding through the storm Round one hit the bell Something left to prove Step into the center ring Watch the giant move [Chorus] Give me a Square Deal Put the power on the scale When the public always loses Then the whole system fails Give me a Square Deal Make the powerful yield Business labor land and people Put the nation on a level field [Verse 2] Round two put the trusts Under legal light Sherman Act was ready For the legal fight Northern Securities Controlled the railroad trade Roosevelt took action Against the trust they made Supreme Court in nineteen oh four Ordered them to split Beef oil and tobacco Teddy did not quit Trustbuster was the title But the label missed the deal Good trusts served the public Bad trusts had to yield Regulate monopolies Make the ground rules tight Corporate giants had to learn To serve the public right [Chorus] Give me a Square Deal Put the power on the scale When the public always loses Then the whole system fails Give me a Square Deal Make the powerful yield Business labor land and people Put the nation on a level field [Verse 3] Round three came In nineteen oh two More than one hundred thousand miners Said the old deal was through Better pay Eight hour days Union recognition For the work they gave Mine owners said no As the strike carried on Winter came closer And the coal supply was gone Teddy called them in And offered arbitration A neutral settlement For the confrontation Owners tried to back out Teddy raised the stakes They finally accepted For the publics sake Workers gained higher pay And shorter hours too Union recognition Still did not come through The White House made owners Hear the workers call A major change in how Government handled them all [Chorus] Give me a Square Deal Put the power on the scale When the public always loses Then the whole system fails Give me a Square Deal Make the powerful yield Business labor land and people Put the nation on a level field [Verse 4] Round four came In nineteen oh four Fifty seven percent Said the people wanted more Laissez faire said Leave the business alone Teddy said the public Needed power of its own Meat Inspection Act Put inspectors inside Pure Food and Drug Act Made the labels comply Wilderness conservation Put the future in sight Forests water land and minerals Needed protection done right Forest Service came In nineteen oh five Millions of acres Were protected to survive Balance every interest Make the public welfare real Every powerful force Had to face the Square Deal [Bridge] Not every trust was bad Not every strike was right He stood between the forces In the middle of the fight Public welfare was the standard For the power in his sight [Final Chorus] Give me a Square Deal Put the power on the scale When the public always loses Then the whole system fails Give me a Square Deal Make the powerful yield Business labor land and people Put the nation on a level field Give me a Square Deal Trusts and workers at the table Give me a Square Deal Keep the future strong and stable Business labor land and people Put the nation on a level field [Outro] Put the power on the scale Protect the public Make the system fair
