Charlie and the MTA

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Bechtel and the MBTA

intro: "These are the times that try men's souls. In the course of our nation's history, the people of Boston have rallied bravely whenever the rights of men have been threatened. Today, a new crisis has arisen. The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, better known as the M.B.T.A., is attempting to levy a burdensome tax on the 99% in the form of a subway fare increase. Through service cuts, they threaten to keep our families from going to work and our children from going to school. Citizens, hear us out! This could happen to you!"

       G
Let me tell you the story
     C 
Of a man named Charlie
     G  		D
On a tragic and fateful day
           G
He put his card in his pocket,
           C
Kissed his wife and family
        G           D G
Went to ride on the MTA

Charlie swiped his card
At the Kendall Square Station
And he changed for Jamaica Plain
When he got there they said,
"There's been a fare hike."
and he could not get off that train.


Chorus 1:
           G
    Did he ever return,
          C
    No he never returned
            G               D
    And his fate is still unlearn'd
           G
    He may ride forever
               C
    'neath the streets of Boston
             G       D           G
    He's the man who never returned.


Now all night long
Charlie rides through the tunnels
Saying, "What will become of me?
Crying
How can I afford to see
My sister in Chelsea
Or my cousin in Roxbury?" 

    Chorus 1:

[Instrumental]
Now I'll tell you a story
about the Big Dig Tunnel
And the tragic and fateful way
How a crooked highway project
Came to rob every family
Who rides on the MBTA

It was money motivation
No one watched the corporations
The costs grew day by day
In the state house they had meetings
With the banksters they were scheming
How to get rich 'n have their way

Chorus 2:
    The people got burned
    The banks stole what we earned
    But we won't let 'em steal the T!
    We will ride forever 
    'neath the streets of Boston
    Public trains, they oughta be free.

Bechtel did the job
While the poor working slob
Paid for all their mistakes
The highway its leaking
The people be freakin
Since they billed the MBTA

    Chorus 2:

Enough is enough
The people are saying
Don't you take the busses away
Your games aint a-working
And we aint a-takin
No more cuts to the MBTA

    Chorus:

Now you citizens of Boston
Don't you think its a scandal
That people have to pay and pay
While the banks get bailed out 
The riders get sold out
No more cuts to the MBTA


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