Painting By Numbers

The gates of the schoolyard

Are padlocked and chained

To keep all the children in out of the rain

The art teacher's preaching

The virtues of pastel shades

You pay no attention but it won't hurt your grades



'cause you're painting by numbers

connecting the dots

they don't have to tell you

you don't call the shots



You jump when they say jump

And you don't ask how high

'cause painting by numbers they know you'll get by

painting by numbers they know you'll get by



You take a position

In the old man's firm

He signs all the papers

You agree to the terms

They let you run errands

And you don't get days off

You take out the garbage and hope it pays off



'cause you're painting by numbers

connecting the dots

you work from the neck down



you might be in grad school

up at MIT

you might be down in the canal zone

being all that you can be

you might get to thinking you're ahead of the game

but when you break it all down

it all comes out the same



You're painting by numbers

connecting the dots

you work from the neck down as often as not