[Verse 1] They put a ribbon on the table With the winner's name sewn in Then invited us to prove ourselves And see who ought to win There's a rulebook by the doorway And a speech on playing fair But the finish line keeps moving When their favorite isn't there [Verse 2] He got graded on his effort I got graded on my score They gave him points for "equity" Till my lead was there no more I said, "If he's short of practice, We can help him learn the game. But you can't rewrite the finish And pretend we ran the same." [Chorus] There's a thumb on the scale And a smile behind the stand Funny how the "fair result" Needs a little helping hand If you have to push the needle Till the proof agrees with you, That's a thumb upon the scale ... And a crooked point of view [Verse 3] Give that man a seat beside me Give him every chance I get Show him every trick you've taught me Let him take his best shot yet Let the work become the measure Let the numbers tell the tale We can help him find his footing Without leaning on the scale [Chorus] There's a thumb on the scale And a smile behind the stand Funny how the "fair result" Needs a little helping hand If you have to push the needle Till the proof agrees with you, That's a thumb upon the scale ... And a crooked point of view [Verse 4] The Lord who sees in secret Knows the things we try to hide He can tell the truth from theatre And the scales we tipped with pride He can hold my whole tomorrow I don't have to force His hand I can trust Him with the outcome And be honest where I stand [Bridge] If my own hand starts to wander, If my own side wants to lean, Give me faith to lift my fingers And let the truth be seen [Final Chorus] There's a thumb on the scale And a smile behind the stand Funny how the "fair result" Needs a little helping hand If you have to push the needle Till the proof agrees with you, That's a thumb upon the scale ... And a crooked point of view [Outro] Well, look at that ... an honest weight. The needle tells its tale. Turns out truth was working fine ... With your thumb off the scale.
