LEFT AND RIGHT, WE’RE ALL GETTING PLAYED Written by Ronnie Lewis [Spoken Intro — Dry humor, deliberate delivery] I’ve been watching politics for a long, long time. And I’ve figured out something mighty peculiar. In Washington, you can be wrong half the time… But agreeing with the other side? Now THAT could get you fired. [Short instrumental pause] [Verse 1 — Rhythmic conversational singing] If the left says it’s raining, The right says the sun’s shining bright. If one side says it’s daytime, The other swears it’s night. You’d think somewhere in the middle, Some common sense might show. But agreeing with your opposition Just ain’t the way things go. [Chorus — Strong melodic entrance] Left and right, we’re all getting played, By the promises they make, And the games they’ve always played. They keep us fighting one another, While they’re shaking hands behind the door. And the folks who pay the bills Just keep on paying more. Oh, left and right, Red and blue, They’re so busy fighting battles, They’ve forgotten me and you. [Verse 2] When things are going good For the folks on one side, The other calls it tragedy, And takes us for a ride. You’d think once in a while They’d find some common ground. But if one side says it’s going up, The other swears it’s going down. And nobody gets much credit For the good they might have done. But let somebody stumble, And the opposition’s having fun. [Verse 3] Now I ain’t no mathematician, But there’s something mighty strange. The laws of average ought to mean They’d sometimes feel the same. On every single question, They’re a hundred miles apart. You’d think that once they’d find agreement Somewhere in their hearts. But agreeing with the other side Might cost somebody votes. So they stand before the cameras And repeat those tired old quotes. [Chorus] Left and right, we’re all getting played, By the promises they make, And the games they’ve always played. They keep us fighting one another, While they’re shaking hands behind the door. And the folks who pay the bills Just keep on paying more. Oh, left and right, Red and blue, They’re so busy fighting battles, They’ve forgotten me and you. [Verse 4 — More reflective] Now the farmer needs some rainfall, And the working man needs pay. The widow needs her medicine, And some help along the way. The young folks need a future, And the old folks need some peace. But the shouting from Washington Doesn’t ever seem to cease. They’ll twist a little truth around, Leave out what doesn’t fit. And by the time the story’s told, You can’t make sense of it. [Bridge — Spoken, thoughtful, music softens] You know, I’ve been around a long time. And there’s something I’ve never understood. How can two groups of supposedly intelligent people Look at the very same problem And come up with answers That are always completely opposite? Seems to me, sooner or later, Somebody ought to accidentally agree. [Pause] But maybe that’s the problem. Maybe agreeing… Just ain’t part of the job. [Verse 5 — Building intensity] They tell us they’re our servants, That they’re working for our good. And maybe some believe it, Like a public servant should. But there’s power in division, And there’s money in the game. And no matter who’s elected, The fighting stays the same. They keep us picking sides, Like we’re cheering at a game. And when the dust has settled, It’s the people who remain. [Final Chorus — Slower, stronger, emotional] Left and right, we’re all getting played, While the debts keep getting bigger, And the promises just fade. They keep us mad at one another, Keep us looking for someone to blame. And every time the players change, We’re watching that same old game. Oh, left and right, Red and blue, I wonder when they’ll figure out They’re supposed to work for me and you. [Outro — Spoken, intimate, music fading] You know, I don’t expect everybody to agree. That’s not what this country’s about. But I do expect the people we send to Washington To remember who sent them there. And it wasn’t the Republican Party. And it wasn’t the Democratic Party. It was the American people. [Long pause] And somewhere along the way… I think they forgot that. [Soft instrumental] Left and right… We’re all getting played. [Instrumental outro — Gentle harmonica and acoustic guitar fade]
