How do you think the world might look
If everyone gave a bit more than they took
If we thought about others to any degree
Before asking the question, what’s in it for me
How do you think the world would be
If we looked at others and could always see
Who they really are, not what we would change
It seems strange that such a world would seem strange
How do you think the world could change
If all our priorities had been rearranged
Where giving and taking were somehow reversed
And everyone thought about giving gifts first
If giving were a need that was similar to thirst
Would things be better or would they be worse
Would we like any better the person we see
Reflected in the window sipping imported tea
Sharing our humanity, for just a moment or two
Is like sharing understanding, with someone like you
Someone you didn’t know, till you stopped to invest
A look in their eyes, not at how they are dressed
Value isn’t something we inherit at birth
But most of us don’t know how to measure our worth
We’ve been told that monetary success is the rule
And above all else, we have to look cool
Caring for others, though, is not on the list
Of things that have to be done to exist
In a world where dreams are of mansions and cars
In a world that is driven by conflict and wars
The poor are all painted as morally suspect
While the rich are deemed better in every respect
And we’ve all bought into it and know what to expect
In our hearts we must know it’s time to reject
The unwritten rules that govern our lives
Where only one or two percent thrives
And the rest of the world is there to be seized
By those convinced they can do what they please
It’s time for a change to this old paradigm
Where dominion and slavery are not prosecuted crimes
We need a new set of rules that redefine growth
In more sustainable ways, though we might be loathe
To abandon the familiar for something unknown
Where growth isn’t measured by interest on loans
It will not be easy, it’ll be messy as hell
But for all of our sakes, we must break the spell
For centuries now we’ve been digging a hole
Exploiting individuals at the expense of the whole
What got us in this hole will not get us out
It’s giving and caring that will show us the route
But the thing that must change first is not what to do
It isn’t about the way we exchange false for the true
It’s deep inside where we wrestle with themes
The thing that must change is the stuff of our dreams
What do we really want, what matters to us most
What would cause us to raise our glass in a toast
Is it sitting down to dinner with the top one percent
Or seeing two eyes change to joy from lament
