James McMurtry - Painting by numbers

^EThe gates of the ^Bschoolyard Are ^Bpadlocked and ^Echained ^ETo keep all the ^Bchildren in ^F#out of the ^Erain ^EThe art teacher's ^Bpreaching ^BThe virtues of pastel ^Eshades ^EYou pay no ^Battention but it ^F#won't hurt your ^Egrades

'^Ecause you're painting by ^Bnumbers ^BConnecting the ^Edots ^EThey don't have to ^Btell you You ^F#don't call the ^Eshots You ^Ejump when they say ^Bjump ^BAnd you don't ask how ^Ehigh '^Ecause painting by ^Bnumbers they ^F#know you'll get ^Eby ^EPainting by ^Bnumbers they ^F#know you'll get ^Eby

^EYou take a ^Bposition ^BIn the old man's ^Efirm ^EHe signs all the ^Bpapers You ^F#agree to the ^Eterms ^EThey let you run ^Berrands ^BAnd you don't get days ^Eoff You ^Etake off the ^Bgarbage and ^F#hope it pays ^Eoff

'^Ecause you're painting by ^Bnumbers ^BConnecting the ^Edots You ^Ework from n^Beck down You ^F#don't call the ^Eshots You ^Ejump when they say ^Bjump ^BAnd you don't ask how ^Ehigh '^Ecause painting by ^Bnumbers they ^F#know you'll get ^Eby ^EPainting by ^Bnumbers they ^F#know you'll get ^Eby

^EYou might be in ^Bgrad school ^BUp at M.I.^ET ^EYou might be down in the ^Bcanal zone Being ^F#all that you can ^Ebe ^EYou might get to ^Bthinking ^BYou're ahead of the ^Egame ^EBut when you break it all ^Bdown It all ^F#comes out the ^Esame

'^Ecause you're painting by ^Bnumbers ^BConnecting the ^Edots You ^Ework from n^Beck down More^F# often than not^E You ^Ejump when they say ^Bjump ^BAnd you don't ask how ^Ehigh '^Ecause painting by ^Bnumbers they ^F#know you'll get ^Eby

'^Ecause you're painting by ^Bnumbers ^BConnecting the ^Edots You ^Ework from n^Beck down You ^F#don't call the ^Eshots You ^Ejump when they say ^Bjump ^BAnd you don't ask how ^Ehigh ^EPainting by ^Bnumbers they ^F#know you'll get ^Eby ^EPainting by ^Bnumbers they ^F#know you'll get ^Eby ^EPainting by ^Bnumbers they ^F#know you'll get ^Eby