Time And Tune

Oh, the strata Of society, Down from Emperor to slave, Oh, they tell you What you ought to do And just how you should behave And the manners That you have to show When superiors you pass... Roman people, Neatly organized, Into layers, class by class. From the toga With a purple stripe, To the sack-cloth down below, Know your status In society, What you wear and who you know, Status symbols? Own a villa And a garden and a horse... Make your slaves do What you want them to, When you want them to, of course. At the bathhouse Are you pampered? At the theatre, where’s your seat? Are you wealthy? Are you healthy? Are you part of the elite? Yes, the senator And the citizen, Seeking privilege, no doubt... Seeking power, seeking influence, Are they ‘in’, or are they ‘out’? Oh, the strata Of society, Down from Emperor to slave, Oh, they tell you What you ought to do And just how you should behave And the manners That you have to show When superiors you pass... Roman people, Neatly organized, Into layers,