How The World Works

Em         A
Hey, kids
                         D             D  B/D#
Today, we're gonna learn about the world


[Verse 1: Bo Burnham]
Em               A
The world that's around us
          D
Is pretty amazing
                D
But how does it work?
               B/D#
It must be complicated
Em                A              D
The secret is the world can only work
                D       B/D#
When everything works together


[Verse 2: Bo Burnham]
  Em                A
A bee drinks from a flower
                    D
And leaves with its pollen
                D
A squirrel in a tree
                       B/D#    Em
Spreads the seeds that have fallen
           A
Everything works together
D           B/D#          Em       A
The biggest elephant, the littlest fly
D           B/D#             Em           A
The gophers underground, the birds in the sky
A#/D#  Bm          Daug/Bb       D/A         Bm6/G#
And every single cricket, every fish in the sea
G                       E              A
Gives what they can and gets what they need


[Chorus: Bo Burnham]
D               Bm/G#
That is how the world works
G               E/G#    A
That is how the world works
D
From A to Zebra
       F#7          Bm
To the worms in the dirt
G      Dsus4/A
That's how it works

[Interlude 1: Bo Burnham & Socko]
D      F#m/C#
Hey everyone
                       Bm7
Look who stopped by to say hello
F#m/C#
It's Socko
D
Hey!
          F#m/C#
Where you been, Socko?
          Bm7                               F#m/C#
I've been where I always am when you're not wearing me on your hand
D                     F#m/C#               Bm7
In a frightening, liminal space between states of being
           F#m/C#
Not quite dead, not quite alive
     D                              F#m/C#
It's similar to a constant state of sleep paralysis
Bm7                                             F#m/C#
Socko, we were just talking about the world and how it works
D                   F#m/C#
Boy, that sounds complicated!
                                     Bm7
Do you have anything you'd want to teach us about the world?
           F#m/C#                                 D
I wouldn't say anything that you probably haven't already said yourself
        F#m/C#
I don't know about that, Socko
E                       A
How about you give it a try?
Alright!


[Verse 3: Socko]
Em                   A                       D
The simple narrative taught in every history class
                D                 B/D#  Em
Is demonstrably false and pedagogically classist
                   A                   D
Don't you know the world is built with blood?
             D          B/D#
And genocide and exploitation
Em                    A                     D
The global network of capital essentially functions
                 D                   B/D#  Em
To separate the worker from the means of production
          A                      D
And the FBI killed Martin Luther King
D       B/D#       Em         A
Private property's inherently theft
    D          B/D#         Em             A
And neoliberal fascists are destroying the left
F#/A# Bm       Daug/Bb       D/A        Bm6/G#
And every politician, every cop on the street
             G                           E         A
Protects the interests of the pedophilic corporate elite


[Chorus: Socko & Bo Burnham]
D               Bm/G#
That is how the world works
Really?
G               E/G#  A
That is how the world works
D                             F#7       Bm
Genocide, the Natives say you got to it first
G      D/A
That's how it works


[Interlude 2: Bo Burnham & Socko]
D             F#m/C#
That's pretty intense
   Bm
No shit
                 F#m/C#
What can I do to help?
              D
Read a book or something, I don't know
F#m/C#                        Bm7
Just don't burden me with the responsibility of educating you
F#m/C#
It's incredibly exhausting
D
I'm sorry, Socko
                    F#m/C#              Bm7
I was just trying to become a better person
                     F#m/C#                            D
Why do you rich fucking white people insist on seeing every
                F#m/C#                           Bm7              F#m/C#
socio-political conflict through the myopic lens of your own self-actualization?
                  D
This isn't about you
                   F#m/C#                        Bm7
So either get with it, or get out of the fucking way
Watch your mouth, buddy
        F#m/C#               D
Remember who's on whose hand here
But that's what I--
                  F#m/C#
Have you not been fucking listening?
Bm
We are entrenched in--
Alright, alright
      F#m/C#
Wait, no please!
I don't wanna go back, please
D
I can't go, I can't go back
N.C.
Please, please, I'm sorry
Are you gonna behave yourself?
Yes
Yes, what?
Yes, sir
Look at me
Yes, sir
That's better


[Chorus: Bo Burnham, Socko & Both]
D               Bm/G#
That is how the world works
G               E/G#     A
That is how the world works
D
I hope you learned your lesson
F#7          Bm
I did and it hurt
G      Dsus4/A
That's how it works