Lyrics
I was told I had to grease his palm
I was instructed to bribe him, offering money.
To walk from school without the fear of harm
To safely walk home from school, I had to pay for protection.
He knocked me down and took my dollar from me
He physically assaulted me and took my money.
And then he lay these pearls of wisdom on me
Afterward, he shared some supposed words of wisdom with me.
He say, business is business, nothing is free
He asserts that in business, there are no freebies or handouts.
Business is business, don't you blame me
Business transactions should not be attributed to personal blame.
Business is business, you've got to pay
Business involves a monetary cost; you must be prepared to pay.
Business is business, can't get away
One cannot escape the financial obligations of business.
Business is business, a man's gotta live
Survival in life requires engaging in business activities.
And what I can take is more than you'd give
The speaker implies a willingness to take more than they give in business dealings.
Nothing has changed since I left school behind
The speaker suggests that the dynamics of power and bullying persist beyond school life.
The bullies now just all wear suits and ties
Bullies have transformed into individuals wearing formal attire.
They'll buy you lunch to get that dollar from you
People in power may treat you well initially, but their ultimate goal is to extract money from you.
And then they'll lay the mumbo-jumbo on you
Following their apparent generosity, they will present confusing and deceptive language.
Business is business, nothing is free
Reiteration that in business, nothing is provided without a cost.
Business is business, don't you blame me
Emphasizes the separation of personal responsibility from business actions.
Business is business, you've got to pay
Reiterates the inevitability of financial obligations in business.
Business is business. can't get away
Stresses the inescapable nature of business-related financial commitments.
Business is business, don't call me a crook
Defends against being labeled a criminal, stating actions are within legal bounds.
It's perfectly legal, I go by the book
Asserts adherence to legal regulations and ethical standards in business dealings.
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