Forgotten Man
Blue-Collar Anthem: Life, Labor, and Resilience
Lyrics
Go to bed early, wake up at dawn
Emphasizes a routine of early bedtime and early waking.
Swinging from the hip and punching at the clock
Describes a hardworking attitude, using physical gestures.
Build a hell of a life, what more could you want
Expresses contentment with a well-built life.
Than a week's paid vacation and a pick up loan? Yep
Desires simple pleasures like a week's vacation and a pickup truck, indicating modest aspirations.
I got a little white house with a flag in the front
Details a modest home with patriotic symbolism.
Way that it is, is the way that it was
Reflects acceptance of the current state, unchanging.
Dirt turns to mud here, steel turns to rust
Uses imagery to convey deterioration and decay in life.
The color of my neck's still the same as my blood
Symbolizes a connection between personal identity and heritage.
Daddy spent his whole life working for a dollar
Portrays a generational pattern of hard work for financial stability.
Name on his patch, more like a badge of honor
Associates work with honor, pride in one's job.
Sent me off to school, tried to turn me to a scholar
Highlights the parental push for education and success.
Can't unpaint the blue on my collar
Suggests the permanence of working-class identity.
Gas is getting too damn high and land is too
Addresses economic challenges, particularly rising costs.
Can't get your hands on an acre that ain't handed down to you
Stresses the difficulty of acquiring land without inheritance.
Towers moving in, sending rent through the roof
Describes urban development impacting living costs.
But we can't lay down, so we lace up our boots
Despite challenges, there's determination to persevere.
Daddy spent his whole life working for a dollar
Reiterates generational work ethic and pride.
Name on his patch, more like a badge of honor
Links work to a sense of honor and identity.
Sent me off to school, tried to turn me to a scholar
Reiterates the parental emphasis on education.
Can't unpaint the blue on my collar
Reinforces the lasting impact of a working-class upbringing.
Here's to the backs giving out and callous cracked hands
Acknowledges physical toll and sacrifice in manual labor.
The bank pissed away your retirement plans
Refers to financial setbacks, possibly due to economic instability.
But I'm still holding that flame
Despite challenges, there's a commitment to a personal flame or passion.
'Cause I still give a damn
Expresses caring and concern for a particular group.
About that beaten down forgotten man
Identifies with and acknowledges the struggles of the "forgotten man."
My daddy spent his whole life working for a dollar
Reiteration of family history and work ethic.
Name on his patch, more like a badge of honor
Associates work with honor, pride in one's job.
Sent me off to school, tried to turn me to a scholar
Continues the theme of parental focus on education.
Can't unpaint the blue on my collar
Reaffirms the lasting impact of a working-class upbringing.
Daddy spent his whole life working for a dollar
Repetition of the generational work ethic and pride.
Name on his patch, more like a badge of honor
Reiterates the association of work with honor and identity.
Sent me off to school, tried to turn me to a scholar
Echoes the parental emphasis on education.
Can't unpaint the blue on my collar
Final acknowledgment of the enduring impact of a working-class background.
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