[Verse 1] They raised her rate to match my own. She called her mother on the phone. Nobody took a cent from me, But equal wasn't how I'd learned to see. [Verse 2] A candidate came through our town, Said men like me were beaten down. He never offered me a raise; He fed my envy, took my praise. [Chorus] He made my spite feel righteous, Made cruelty a point of pride. A ladder built from other knees Would keep me on his side. [Verse 3] We used to split a pot of tea. Now she ate lunch apart from me. She hadn't changed the way she spoke; I'd started laughing at the jokes. [Chorus] He made my spite feel righteous, Made cruelty a point of pride. A ladder built from other knees Would keep me on his side. [Bridge] You saw the hours. You saw the skill. You know I bring the same things still. What did he give you in exchange For treating me like I had changed? [Final Chorus] He made my spite feel righteous, Made cruelty a point of pride. A ladder built from other knees Would keep me on his side. [Outro] Nobody took a cent from me. (You could have stood beside me.) © 2026 The Shady River Bard. All rights reserved.
