Let me tell you son, let me tell you ‘bout a few things
About the man in the ivory tower and his puppet strings
If he pulls them once you better jump and ask how high
If he pulls them twice you better run ‘cuz you’re gonna die

Let me tell you son, let me tell you ‘bout the way it goes
You know the ivory man is the boss and everybody knows
He’s got a small on one side and a knife on the other face
He’ll cut you up in little pieces and spread you all over the place

He keeps you locked up in a cage
He keeps you listed at the bottom of the second page
He’ll make you suffer just to pay
Yea you work till you die and you’ll die to get away

I’d love to stay with you son but the man’s calling; gotta go
Gotta shackle ‘em up to pull the plow for Mr. So-and-so
Now if you’re smarter than me you’re gonna jump out the back door
Go on and get while you can ‘cuz I can’t help you no more

If I could shelter you from the world, son you know I would
Go on and cry if you want to but it won’t do you no good
When the man comes calling you got yourself a choice to make
You either take what’s yours or it’s yours that he’s gonna take

He keeps you locked up in a cage
He keeps you listed at the bottom of the second page
He’ll make you suffer just to pay
Yea you work till you die and you’ll die to get away

Let me tell you son, let me tell you ‘bout a few things
About the man in the ivory tower and his puppet strings
If he pulls them once you better jump and ask how high
If he pulls them twice you better run ‘cuz you’re gonna die