Waltzing Imelda Lyrics

I spent the whole weekend doing my taxes
I hadn't had math since 1969
I enlisted the aid of my new calculator
To add up that old bottom line

And while I was counting those minuscule numbers
I turned on the radio news
They said Lady Imelda had left in Manila
Some 3000 pairs of new shoes

With my calculator I punched in three thousand
Divided by three hundred and sixty five
If she lives 8.2 more years, she'll have new shoes
Every day for the rest of her life

Now money is useful, it does come in handy
I wont stand here grinding my axes
But 6000 shoes, come on give me a break
I complained and returned to my taxes

When not o much later my radio player
said Ferdinand Marcos, civilian
Earning five thousand six hundred dollars a year
Had somehow come up with three billion

My hands began shaking, I punched in three billion
Divided by five thousand six hundred one
It would only have taken some 535,000 years
To have done

Some people have trouble with drugs and with gambling
Some people have trouble with booze
One of Ferdinand's problems was being too greedy
And his wife was addicted to shoes

But they've gone packing, it's safety in numbers
And the truth I suppose only he knows
How one man made three billion dollars
From twenty-six million fellow Filipinos

Just for fun I punched in 26 million people
And I divided up all of the money he stole
It made one hundred fifteen bucks thirty eight cents
For each Philippine body and soul

I do support enterprise and I support justice
And even one's freedom to shoes
But give back the money to rebuild your country
I said, and I turned off the news