[Verse 1] Nineteen twenty-nine, the markets crashed and burned Breadlines stretched for miles, the whole world overturned But from this chaos came a blueprint carved in stone Federal laws that built the workforce we have known [Chorus] Wagner, Social Security, Fair Labor too NIRA started bargaining, compliance breaking through Personnel became the guardians of every rule Thirty-three to thirty-eight, they built the regulatory tool [Verse 2] National Industrial Recovery made its mark Gave workers right to organize, lit the union spark Suddenly the bosses needed someone who could speak To labor representatives across the table each week [Chorus] Wagner, Social Security, Fair Labor too NIRA started bargaining, compliance breaking through Personnel became the guardians of every rule Thirty-three to thirty-eight, they built the regulatory tool [Verse 3] Nineteen thirty-five brought Wagner to the floor NLRB and elections, opened labor's door Unfair practices prohibited, bargaining codified Personnel departments grew as unions multiplied [Bridge] Social Security taxes, survivor benefits flow Unemployment insurance, payroll needs to know Accounting didn't want it, pushed it down the hall Personnel absorbed it, records and all [Verse 4] Fair Labor Standards finished what the others began Minimum wage and overtime, classified each man Exempt or non-exempt, time clocks keeping track Personnel owned the infrastructure, carried compliance on their back [Chorus] Wagner, Social Security, Fair Labor too NIRA started bargaining, compliance breaking through Personnel became the guardians of every rule Thirty-three to thirty-eight, they built the regulatory tool [Outro] Legal wrote the memos, but personnel did the work From Depression's ashes rose the compliance network
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