Belly Up

The old river turned on this town

The pharmacy that Walter ran now looks like it’s coming down

The work at the coal mine just ain’t what it used to be

At least we have a McDonald’s now

Born and bred in the valley between the mountains

My father left for the Carolinas and died along the way

I hear Miss Annette from the laundromat closed her doors for good

The foundation’s poured for Walmart where the old grade school stood

Poverty and progress go hand in hand

The filthy get richer, pillage pockets and land

Industry trumps honesty, there’s no more middleman

Where the hell are we supposed to go

Now America is sold

Lizzy says she can’t afford another kid

Fast food becomes the norm when we pay our weight in rent

A welfare nation the bottom pays for the bottom to live

A vicious cycle that they put us in

Poverty and progress go hand in hand

The filthy get richer, pillage pockets and land

Industry trumps honesty, there’s no more middleman

Where the hell are we supposed to go

Now America is sold

Well, the 80s told us to trust the bankers

He was George’s brother Bob, dispensing mortgages like Pez

Belly up work dried up as the river receded

This land is their land now

Poverty and progress go hand in hand

The filthy get richer, pillage pockets and land

Industry trumps honesty, there’s no more middleman

Where the hell are we supposed to go

Now America is sold

© 2022 Jason Erie