Broke by Design

[Intro – chain clanks, boots stomp, voice rough and raw]
We work. You take.
We break. You bank.
But the chain only stretches one way…
[Verse 1 – stomp rhythm, heavy drums, call-and-response cadence]
I wake up sore, paychecks thin,
Taxed on the front, taxed on the back end.
Boss got rich, congress smiled,
I ain’t seen a raise in a good long while.
Gas price high, rent’s insane,
Food’s like gold, but my pockets stay the same.
They print new bills, call it aid,
But every damn dime gets bled out in trade.
[Chorus – gang chant, fists slamming metal]
We’re broke by design, ain't no accident.
They pad their chairs while we pay the rent.
We bleed in the fields, sweat in the steel,
While they sell fake hope and four-course meals.
We ain’t lazy, we’re just tired of lies.
Workin’ three jobs just to survive.
You don’t hear us? That’s fine. We’ll roar.
’Cause the workin’ man’s done takin’ more.
[Verse 2 – voice sharper, more venom]
They talk like saviors, dressed in suits,
But they ain’t never walked in my boots.
Shake our hands, kiss the flag,
Then vote to shove us in another tax drag.
College debt, healthcare game,
They get rich off rules we can’t name.
Ain’t no bailout for the broke and beat —
Just more chains, deeper heat.
[Bridge – acapella chain gang chant, stomps only]
Swing low, swing true —
They take and we do.
Hammer down, head high —
We build while they lie.
[Final Chorus – full-force, gang vocals layered, no backing off]
We’re broke by design, but we still stand tall.
Ain’t no suit ever built this wall.
They strip our checks, ignore our pain,
But we carry this country like a goddamn chain.
We ain’t silent, just fed up loud.
If you ain’t workin’, don’t talk proud.
We’ve earned every scar, every calloused hand…
And we’re comin’ for what’s owed — do you understand?
[Outro – slow clanks, voice like steel dragging gravel]
Yeah, we’re broke by design.
But we’re done bein’ blind.
You better watch your step…
'Cause the chain’s startin’ to wind.

Industrial Country-Grime / Americana Chain-Gang Rock