Great Depression II

There are banks afraid of lending
There are factories shutting down
There are people headed nowhere
On the mean streets of each town.

There are hard times in the offing
There is hunger on its way
For the greed of moneychangers
Left a high price we must pay.

There’s a desperation spreading
Like the one that used to be
In our God-forsaken heartland
Back in 1933.

There are eyes all blank and hollow
There are dreams that turned to dust
There’s a fear to face tomorrow
And not a thing that we can trust.

There are children in the schoolyards
Where their laughter still rings true
But their lives will soon be altered
By what a selfish few can do.

There’s a righteous anger building
Right across our tortured land
And a raised fist is the answer
For each worker’s empty hand.

We must seek our own salvation
Like they did in Dust Bowl days
One for all, and all together
With our unity to praise.

I’ll be damned if I’ll accept this
And we’ll be damned if you do too
So let’s rise and Fight the Power
And see our victory through!

Dennis Rahkonen, from Superior, Wisconsin, has been writing progressive commentary with a Heartland perspective for various outlets since the '60s. Read other articles by Dennis.

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  1. Poilu said on October 12th, 2008 at 4:51am #

    Dennis: Well done! That one truly deserves to be set to music, a la Springsteen’s own ballads, and broadcast, heavily amplified, from the rooftops. (I can even imagine a terminal fade-out utilizing Public Enemy’s own “Fight the Power”.)

    Bravo, maestro!

    (Intriguingly, your lyrics could also easily be substituted in Bob Dylan’s “Desolation Row”.)