"The Way It Is" by Bruce Hornsby.
Standing in line marking time-
Waiting for the welfare dime
'Cause they can't buy a job
The man in the silk suit hurries by
As he catches the poor ladies' eyes
Just for fun he says "get a job"
Quigley sighed. He was stuck in a dead-end job that wasn't going anywhere. And Violet refused to love him.
He could see why.
That's just the way it is
Some things will never change
That's just the way it is
But don't you believe them
He really felt down in the dumps.
All that cheered him up was Violet's face whenever she was happy.
They say he little boy you can't go
Where the others go
'Cause you don't look like they do
Said hey old man how can you stand
To think that way
Did you really think about it
Before you made the rules
He said, Son
Tears dripped down his face. He had always loved Violet, always, but there was just no way she would love him.
Well they passed a law in '64
To give those who ain't got a little more
But it only goes so far
Because the law don't change another's mind
When all it sees at the hiring time
Is the line on the color bar
He came home, blood on his face as usual and beer in hand.
Violet bounded up to him - and gave him a kiss.
"BAH!" he cried, and woke up in the gutter.