'The Way It Is', - Bruce Hornsby & The Range

On the 13th of December 1986, Bruce Hornsby & The Range went to No.1 on the US singles chart, with 'The Way It Is', a No.15 hit in the UK.http://www.thisdayinmusic.com
Watch 'The way it is'
"The Way It Is" is a hit song by Bruce Hornsby and the Range from their 1986 album The Way It Is. It topped the charts in the United States and the Netherlands in 1986^[1][2], and peaked inside the top twenty in countries such as Ireland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Written by Bruce Hornsby and his brother John Hornsby, it made explicit reference to the American Civil Rights Movement.^[3] This song was heavily sampled by Tupac Shakur in his song, "Changes" from 1998

The song portrays 1980s America from a critical perspective. The opening verse recounts a story taking place at a line for welfare that illustrate a divide between the rich and poor. The chorus presents several lines insisting that social ills are "just the way it is", and repeatedly suggests resigning oneself to them as a fact of life -- however, the chorus ends with the author rebuking this attitude by insisting "ah, but don't you believe them."

The second verse recounts past social issues from the voice of someone supporting racial segregation. The author responds in a narrative voice, insisting his view that if those who make laws took them into careful consideration they would be convicted that laws enforcing principles like racial segregation are morally wrong. The song reminds the listener that it was at one time argued that racial segregation was "just the way it is", and suggests that legislation and what the author views as progress on current social issues should be pursued without regard to those who insist "some things will never change."

The third verse recounts the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as a victory in the civil rights movement, but insists that more is needed. The third chorus suggests that it only feels like "some things will never change" when we wait for social problems to change themselves rather than taking steps ourselves to actively change them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Way_It_Is_(song)

'Standing in line marking time--

Waiting for the welfare dime
'Cause they can't buy a job
The man in the silk suit hurries by
As he catches the poor old ladies' eyes
Just for fun he says "Get a job"