Tax the Rich brings us to the heart of a raw, energetic dialogue where ordinary working-class teachers, frustrated by economic inequalities, rally for social reform. They unify their voices to call attention to corporate greed and wealth disparity. Their biting lyrics recount a wide range of grievances, including underfunded public programs, inaccessible healthcare, and crumbling infrastructure. Each line captures the teachers’ anger and sense of injustice as they grapple with a system that neglects the very communities for whom it was intended.

The grumbling begins in the Teacher’s Room with Mr. Dugan questioning why there is a shortage of resources for some communities even though they live in one of the wealthiest nations in the world. His words resonate with the other teachers, who quickly chime in, venting their own frustrations about the lack of accountability for corporations and their neglect of the poor. When Mr. Dugan suggests they “Tax the Rich,” it becomes a rallying cry, sparking a chorus of support from his colleagues who are all tired of seeing public funds go into private coffers (“Pools”) instead of being used to serve the needs of the people in local communities (“Schools”).

As the teachers’ indignation builds, each expresses their own pet peeves about the unbridled amassment of wealth by corporations. Mr. Daniels, Mr. Dugan and Mr. Johnson complain bitterly about the lack of funds for healthcare, veterans, and social welfare programs while Ms. Simon’s recurring mantra, “Ain’t that a bitch?” underscores the teachers’ contempt towards the nation’s economic system of inequality where 1% of the population controls 90% of its wealth. The final chorus of Tax the Rich produces a cathartic moment for the teachers who fervently hope for a viable solution to overcome the injustice they feel still exists against the 90% of the population, that segment of the population of which they are proud members.