Barbra Streisand — Sitting On Your Status Quo

Are you ready to hear your lesson for today? Yes, Teacher! Yes, Teacher! Are you ready to learn what History has to say? Yes, Teacher! Yes, Teacher! Then take your books and follow me to 1776 AD And as the History page is turned We will see what we can learn Yes, Teacher! Yes, Teacher! Yes, Teacher! In 1776, Tom Paine was writing books with might and main The Tories said "Now man alive Stop giving out with this here liberty jive!" "Stop giving out with this here liberty jive" "Don't sing of people's rights that way They might believe in what you say So stop your song, it's not polite Pipe down before you start a fight" You don't say, Teacher, is that right? Aha, but Tom Paine looked ahead And to those Tories Thomas said, "No, no, no, no When you got to go, you got to go You can't stand still on freedom's track If you don't go forward, you go back You can't giddyup by saying "Whoa" And sitting on your status quo!" Yes, Teacher! Yes, Teacher! Yes, Teacher! To Washington at Valley Forge A wise guy whispered "Slow down, George Why stir up trouble for the king? This freedom racket is a corny thing" "This freedom racket is a corny thing" "Your troops are ickys, they can't move You'll never get them in the groove So if you're wise, you'll just lay low And play with the guys that have the dough" You don't say, Teacher, is that so? Aha, but George just looked ahead And to that Tory Georgie said, "No! When you got to go, you got to go You can't stand still on freedom's track If you don't go forward, you go back You can't giddyup by saying "Whoa" And sitting on your status quo!" Yes, Teacher! Yes, Teacher! Yes, Teacher! Now Paul Revere saw a belfry light And that boy rode to town one night Sang to the farmers near and far "Here come the British beating eight to the bar" "Here come the British beating eight to the bar" One slippery Tory said, "Now, Paul Your manners aren't nice at all Turn back, don't be an old hep cat The right people don't sing like that" But Paul Revere turn him down flat Aha, that's right, he rode ahead And to that Tory Paul just said, "No, no, no, no When you got to go, you got to go You can't stand still on freedom's track If you don't go forward, you go back You can't giddyup by saying "Whoa" And sitting on your status quo!" Yes, Teacher! Yes, Teacher! Yes, Teacher! So students, now you're hep, don't stop! Keep stepping to that freedom hop Although the Tories beef and blow To keep you sitting on your status quo To keep us sitting on our status quo When they say, "Let's stand still a bit Give up some rights, no harm in it" Remember those are just the tricks That did not work in '76 Now ain't that right, the same old tricks? Though Tories talk, don't be misled And do what all those others said No, no, no, no When you got to go, you got to go You can't stand still on freedom's track If you don't go forward, you go back You can't giddyup by saying "Whoa" And sitting on your status quo Sitting on your, sitting on your, padded status quo! Woah!