Lopez feat. Daveed Diggs, Brittany Howard, Robert Lopez & Lin

Kristen Anderson

(Check, check, check, check, check, check, check)

Check one, check two, check two, check three
Yeah, I′ll check you if you check me

Check one, check two, check two, check three

Checks and balances

Two houses
The Senate
And the House of Representatives
100 of us
435 of us
Our incentive is
Representin' you, you
Every state elects two of us
We′re proportionally population-based, there's a slew of us
Six-year terms
Two-year terms
And various committees
Our concerns
Are your concerns
From all of your towns and cities
We debate national matters from every state
We bring the pen and the pad and we legislate
We read your letters
Let 'em affect us
If we′re not effective
Don′t reelect us

We work for you, you, you
We are the ones who make the laws
We collect taxes
Hold your applause
These are the odds we reach across
And all for you, you, you
We can amend the Constitution
We can repeal amendments, too
American evolution truly depends on you
True, true
The president can't declare war without us
Though their microphone′s the loudest
Separate powers
The Congressional crowd is here for you (woo)
We work for you (we work for you)
Tell us what you wanna do (tell us what you wanna do)
Bring the legislation through, yo, yo (bring that legislation through)

Check one, check two, check two, check three
(I'll check you if you check me)
Check one, check two, check two, check three
Checks and balances

I am the president which means I′m the elected resident of the White House
I'm commander in chief and head of state
I was elected as the executive, I′m expected to carry out the laws
With my cabinet to cooperate
I work for you
And please take notice
There's a power in your POTUS
And a new law is created on Capitol Hill
I work for you
And if I veto
That new bill will be finito
Unless they override, I decide
How to do the people's will

(Check one, check two, check two, check three)
Yo, I′ll check you if you check me
(Check one, check two, check two, check three)
Checks and balances

Oh, we are the Supremes
And we run this place
We dedicate our lives to hear your landmark case
We evaluate and interpret the laws of the land
And if they violate the Constitution
They do not stand

(We work for you)
Lower federal courts
Act with firm resolution
Ruling on cases involving tax
Bankruptcy, and the Constitution
(We work for you)
We, the highest court
Hear those cases on appeal
And if five or more of us find against
The law they doth repeal

Check one

I′m the one who can push for legislation

But we can chickity-check that, we run appropriation

The people look to me to provide a solution

We check that your solution upholds the Constitution

Check two

We're the nine who establish legal precedent

Check out who picks your next in line
Yes, it′s the president

Chickity-check yourself, you need us to push 'em through
Check three, then we turn around and check you

Checks and balances (check, check, check, check)
Checks and balances (check, check, check, check)
Checks and balances (check, check, check, check)
Checks and balances (check, check, check, check)
(Check, check, check, check, check, check, check, check, check, check, check)