You've come to seek employment information
Your signature slides off the application
The moment that you've pocketed your pen
The census-taker comes but doesn't count you
You cast your vote, but what does it amount to?
A choice of indistinguishable men
And whether you cast one or two or ten
They'll treat you like a second-class citizen
In the street, the children all harrass you
And their parents pull them closer as they pass you
Your landlord thinks he's got you pigeon-holed
The underwriter turns you down for Blue Cross
I hope you have a fragment of the true cross
To keep you and protect you from the cold
You're gonna need some real insurance when
They treat you like a second-class citizen
Now it's your word
Against their word
It's the pure word
Against the swear word
But they can find you
By your accent
Now they're behind you
With a blackjack, a gag and some muscle relaxant
The train stops at a classified location
The PA blasts the names across the station
You suffer every mispronunciation
As they shove you by the hundreds in a pen
You're nothing but a first-rate specimen
Of a second class citizen