Common Ground

I talk to them about business

Honestly

That’s what I do

I just go right to business

All these people

They go out there

And they make it

About morality

That’s not going

To get you anywhere

Oh sure

They’ll nod their heads at you

And ‘Hmmm’ and ‘Yeah’

But once that’s all done

They’re going to check their pockets

Do you understand

What I’m saying?

They’re going to say--

Either I’m rich

Or I’m not rich

Once this jerk’s

Done talking

And--

Is this jerk

Going to make me rich

That’s all

They care about

So I keep that in mind

And I say to them--

Yeah, I know you don’t like

This and this and that

But what if I could make you rich?

And all of a sudden

We’re realizing

We’re a lot more alike

Than we thought

A second ago

Suddenly

There’s common ground

You tell someone

They can move into a better house

Or drive a better car

Or buy a boat

A boat

And suddenly

They don’t care that much

About all these social issues

Everyone’s saying

They care so much about

See, before they only cared

Because they didn’t have

Any money

To keep them busy

Now, you have to dress all that up

Because nobody wants to believe

That they’re greedy

Nobody wants to admit

That it’s all about money

Or that they can be bought

But you say just enough

To make it clear to them

That you might not be the one

They agree with on a philosophical level

But you’re the one

Who’s going to send them

On an extra three vacations a year

And you just watch what happens

They’re shaking your hand

They’re handing you their babies

They’re giving you tours of their house

And telling you all the things in it

That are broken
And need fixing

And you’re nodding like--

Yup, yup

We can take care of that

We can get that fixed for you

That’s all they want to hear

All that other stuff

Is just what they want

To fight about online

I don’t pay attention to it

Yelling doesn’t interest me

And neither does

What people do

When they’re all worked up

I like to let them settle down

And then I hit them

With the dollar signs

Probably sounds like

I’m trying to talk

Like some kind of hustler

But that’s not it

It’s just how you win

Simple as that

The common ground’s just sitting there

If you feel like stepping on it

It’s sitting

Right there