Are you confused about the economy? Well have no fear --
I'm going to explain the American economy right now

The dollar, just think of it like a promise from the government
But the value of the dollar has to be there to be relevant
The value of the dollar comes from China and Iran
When they put their cash reserves in a U.S. dollar plan

They buy treasury bonds from the Federal Reserve
We say "we owe you extra money cause you gave us some of yours"
That's a big part of the National Debt
All the interest that we haven't paid to China quite yet

And a hundred other countries 'cause we're such a good investment
The whole world gives us money we say "Hey we'll pay you interest!"
This is how money is created from air
Bank bailouts, federal budgets Money isn't really there

It's an I.O.U., remember dollars are a promise?
When you borrow from a bank it's not from other depositors
The money for your loan gets created on the spot
Then they put it in your name, gamble on your life and body

But if you lose your job then you were a bad bet
If a million lose their jobs then we have a recession
Here's the dirty secret, your labor's too expensive
Wall Street wants you spending money but they never want to pay you
In your life cash and credit they are very different things
But your credit's someone else's cash once it leaves your name
This is why money is debt
And your debt is good for Wall Street prosperity

And economic growth since the 1970s
Is consumers getting credit without wages increasing
So when they talk about the housing crisis
They never say we need to lower housing prices

We need better devices to afford high prices
Meaning higher debt / lower interest 'cause you're underpaid to begin with
That's the cycle we're in
We don't understand so all we can do is question

Mama economy make me understand
All the numbers, why daddy's on a welfare plan
Turnin' thirty forty fifty gotta move in with my parents
And the stocks go up but the jobs disappear

Mama economy make me understand
All the numbers, why daddy's on a welfare plan
Turnin' thirty forty fifty gotta move in with my parents
And the stocks go up but the jobs disappear

Because wages barely grew for 40 years
When you buy stuff they delay the cost of ownership
You can't afford it so they make it to depend
On endless small transactions which is more like renting
You pay more for printer ink than you do for gold and
More for bottled water than you do for oil
Razor blades are made to oxidate
So you're forever in debt to them just to shave

It's a type of socialism called market socialism
The best designed product meets a need and doesn't last
We subsidize waste with landfills and holidays
Like Earth Day teachin' kids: Recycle please

Kids won't learn in school we live one worldview
Neoliberal economics in all of our politics
They don't ask why corporations are human citizens
Or why grandma pays more taxes 'cause she lacks stock dividends

Or why private bankers print the public money
Or why democracy is broken 'cause their leaders won't be cutting
Loopholes or subsidies for constituent industries
Putting legislative bodies in a deep freeze

So the Ph.Ds and the G.E.D.s
Cry with Ayn Rand down at the temp agency
Sayin' "we believed in meritocracy"
But there's more to the story, someone answer me!

Mama economy make me understand
All the numbers, why daddy's on a welfare plan
Turnin' thirty forty fifty gotta move in with my parents
And the stocks go up but the jobs disappear
Mama economy make me understand
All the numbers, why daddy's on a welfare plan
Turnin' thirty forty fifty gotta move in with my parents
And the stocks go up but the jobs disappear