[Verse 1: Peter Cetera]
I was talking about the state of the union
How there's no one now in power who's thinking of me
I was thinking how we ought to try to fix it
Find a leader who is not afraid to be

[Chorus: Peter Cetera]
Then a voice called out in the darkness
Saying, "Tear the system down"
Oh, tear it down

[Verse 2: Peter Cetera]
I was thinking about how that was very crazy
And I tried to find a way to tell him so
But when I did, I used a word that was quite nasty
How the policeman heard me, man, I'll never know

[Chorus: Peter Cetera]
Then a voice called from out in the darkness
Saying, "Tear the system down"
Oh, tear it down
Down to the ground
Mmm

[Instrumental]
[Verse 3: Peter Cetera]
I was wrestled off to one side of the theater
And they said I'd have to go right to the jail
They don't permit coarse language in their city
But they did accept a large amount of bail

[Chorus: Peter Cetera]
Then a voice called from out in the darkness
Saying, "Tear the system down"
Oh, tear it down
Down to the ground
Tear it down, down, down, down, down

[Outro: All]
Oh
We ain't gonna
Let you tear it down
Oh
Oh, yeah
Don't tear it down
Don't you tear it
Don't tear it down
Don't tear it down
Ahh, don't tear it down
Don't, don't, don't, don't
Tear it down
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Yeah
Don't tear it down
Don't tear
Don't tear it down, build it up
Build it up