Minimum Wage
My Grandaddy worked on the Coolie dam,
My Daddy dreamed he'd work this land,
The dirt turned to dust and the river died
I'll be working in this factory, all my life
They bust the union in '84,
You work for less or not at all
They got all the power they gonna need
Coming down the line from the Gran' Coolie
Chorus
This town, on the minimum wage
My baby stacking shelves 10 hours a day
I been 10 years on this factory line
Call it a living, feels like dying
I draw my pay on a Friday night
I buy cheap liquor, my baby cries
For the shame of being poor, and knowing there's no more
Just the minimum wage, and the charity store
My Grandaddy sang to me
Woodie Guthrie song, Pastures of Plenty
And a new world coming for the working man
You take what you need, you do what you can.