Chairman And The Little Man

(album: Right Side Up - 1976)

Little man work in the rice fields
Got a brother in the factory
Called the Chairman on the telephone line
Invited him around for tea
For tea, for tea, for tea, he invited him around for tea

"Why, thank you," said the Chairman
"But I'm much too busy you see"
The little man said, "I work a 12 hour shift
Do you think you work harder than me?
Than me, than me, than me
Do you think you work harder than me?"

"You dumb peasant," said the Chairman
"I swear that it ain't no lie
When I think of how hard I work for guys like you
I don't know why I try, I try, I try, how I try
But I don't know why I try"

"Don't get me wrong," said the little man
"I'm very grateful you see
I ride to work on my new bicycle
And my wife loves her sewing machine
Machine, machine, machine
And my wife loves her sewing machine"

"Some other time," said the little man
"Some other time maybe"
The Chairman took the phone off the hook
Told his secretary "Make tea, make tea, make tea, make tea"
Told his secretary "Make tea"