Nobody says excuse me, says hello or holds the door
The way some people act you'd think we had a state of war
A whole new generation now has known no other way
The Rules Have Changed Now, Haven't They! It's not like yesterday
That great big supermarket's not your friendly corner store
Nobody ever meets your eye or smiles much anymore
With everybody's hurry more important than your own
The Rules Have Changed Now, Haven't They! Civility's unknown
Rules Have Changed, Rules Have Changed, Rules Have Changed, Changed!


In traffic they will cut you off, barge in from left and right
They cut you in the breakdown lane to turn left at the light
They cut a half a minute here, a half a second there
The Rules Have Changed Now, Haven't They! It's like that everywhere

The rudeness is so blatant that it's hard to not fight back
I used to try to stand my ground or go on the attack
But now I'm happy to survive; I'm just a bit perplexed
The Rules Have Changed Now, Haven't They! And where's it going next?
Rules Have Changed, Rules Have Changed, Rules Have Changed, Changed!

The stories I have heard would make you shudder, then again
You've probably heard most of them and wonder where I've been
I'm learning that the old way is just something of the past.
The Rules Have Changed - hey, move it pal! I'm catching on real fast.
Rules Have Changed, Rules Have Changed, Rules Have Changed, Changed!

On the highway, The Rules Have Changed.
On TV, The Rules Have Changed.
On the job, The Rules Have Changed.
In the schools, The Rules Have Changed.
At the doctor's, The Rules Have Changed.
At the store, The Rules Have Changed.
Changed!


I'd rather be a gentleman and always keep my cool
Before I learned to cuss and cut, I learned the golden rule
It takes a little effort but it doesn't cost a dime
Go ahead and live by your rules, I can always live by mine
Rules Have Changed, Rules Have Changed, Rules Have Changed, Changed!

Common courtesy, The Rules Have Changed.
Common sense, The Rules Have Changed.
Boy and girl, The Rules Have Changed.
Family life, The Rules Have Changed.
Public trust, The Rules Have Changed.
Privacy, The Rules Have Changed.
Don't you know? The Rules Have Changed.
Loyalty, The Rules Have Changed.
Politics, The Rules Have Changed.
The Economy, The Rules Have Changed.
Biology, The Rules Have Changed.
Astronomy, The Rules Have Changed.
Harmony, The Rules Have Changed.
The Climate, too, The Rules Have Changed.
History, The Rules Have Changed.
Girl and girl, The Rules Have Changed.
Boy and boy, The Rules Have Changed.