[This song is about the tension between individual success and shared responsibility—and the idea that those who have accumulated extraordinary wealth should pay more in taxes to help maintain the country and the systems that made that success possible.] [It argues that no one becomes successful entirely on their own. We may earn our money, build our homes, and protect what we have, but we do it on top of roads, schools, courts, infrastructure, public institutions, and the countless people who keep society functioning.] [At the center of the song is the question: Are we “We the People,” building and maintaining a country together, or “Me the People,” where everyone primarily looks after their own interests?] [The song isn’t arguing that people shouldn’t keep what they’ve earned. It’s arguing that the wealthiest among us can afford to contribute a larger share through taxes, helping pay for the roads, schools, courts, infrastructure, and public systems that everyone—including the wealthy—depends on.] [At its heart, the message is: You can keep what you’ve earned. But if you’ve gained extraordinary wealth from a society we all help build and maintain, should you also pay more to keep that society strong?] [That’s the question the song puts on the table.] There’s a house on every street With a fence around the yard A little piece of heaven With a little piece to guard Everybody keeps their treasure Everybody locks their doors But somewhere underneath it all We’re standing on the same floor [Verse 1] Your money makes a zillion While you’re sleeping in your bed Climbing like ivy Feeding your piggy bank sky-high You say, “I earned every penny Why should you take more away?” I say, “Who built the roads beneath you That carried you here today?” Who trained the hands that built them? Who keeps the courts in line? Who keeps the lights from flickering When the markets implode? You can call it independence You can call it what you please But nobody gets rich alone In a forest full of trees [Pre-Chorus] We all want to keep our freedom We all want to keep our share But freedom isn’t just the space Between you and your neighbor’s chair [Chorus] Are WE the People or ME the People Which one are WE gonna be? You may own the biggest slice But WE all helped bake the pie Are WE the People or ME the People Standing underneath one sky You can build yourself a kingdom But you can’t build another earth When this is all we’ve got [Verse 2] I don’t have any children So why should I help pay For somebody else’s classroom Somebody else’s school day? Because someday that little kid Might be the nurse who saves my life The engineer who fixes the bridge The cop who stops the fight The teacher who teaches your grandson The stranger who pulls you through The person who keeps this whole damn thing From falling down on you That’s the funny thing about us We never know who we need Until the day we need somebody Who once needed us [Pre-Chorus] It’s easy to love the freedom When the freedom’s paying you It’s harder to remember There’s a thousand hands behind you [Chorus] Are WE the People or ME the People Which one are we gonna be? You may own the biggest slice But we all helped bake the pie Are WE the People or ME the People Standing underneath one sky You can count every dollar You can measure every gain But you can’t put a price On keeping the whole thing alive [Bridge: drums build, electric guitar enters] We’re a melting pot We’re a powder keg We’re a thousand different dreams Standing on the same ground Different gods Different names Different roads Different games But when the fire starts burning And the water starts rising Nobody gets to say “That’s not my side of town.” [Breakdown: almost spoken] So keep your money. Keep your house. Keep the things you earned. But don’t forget!!!! The road was already there. The school was already there. The courts were already there. The country was already there. You’re using a platform. WE all built. WE all paid. Is this a Republic or a ME Public? [Final Chorus: full band] Are WE the People NOT ME the People That’s the question underneath How much can one person build Without a thousand hands? WE the People NOT ME the People You can take what you have earned You may think you paid your share But you can’t put a price on keeping our Republic alive It’s something we return It’s giving back [Outro: acoustic guitar returns] Are WE the people… Not ME the people… Your fortune isn’t floating In a vacuum in the sky It grew here. But who really grew it? And did only the few grow with it? Who built this American Apple Platform? I’ll tell you WHO!!!! WE THE PEOPLE DID!!!! NOT ME THE PEOPLE!!!!! Not just you. So Multi Millionaires you are not paying enough To support the American Platform That allows you to make these millions OUR SYSTEM!!!!! NOT YOUR RULES!!!!!
