Dollar ain’t a Dollar

[Verse 1 – dusty guitar, blues groove]
Gas went up, my check stayed low,
Groceries lookin’ like a Vegas show.
Rent’s due Friday, bills on fire,
Still got dreams — just fewer buyers.
Stocks go up, then fall like pride,
Politicians talk, but they ain’t on our side.
They say, “We’re in recovery,”
But I still feel broke to me.
[Chorus – gritty, defiant, with a stomp and a hook]
A dollar ain’t a dollar anymore,
It don’t stretch, it don’t roar, it just knocks on the floor.
Workin’ two jobs just to pay one bill,
Chasin’ freedom that feels uphill.
The numbers say growth, but the soul feels sore…
Yeah, a dollar ain’t a dollar anymore.
[Verse 2 – sharper phrasing, a little edge]
They tax my sweat, then bail out greed,
Buy votes with fear and sell hope we don’t need.
Meanwhile I’m patchin’ jeans again,
Tryin’ to raise my kid to still believe in men.
Coffee’s $6, eggs cost gold,
And my future's lookin’ tired, not old.
The news says “boom,” the streets say “bust,”
I’ll take the word of the ones I trust.
[Bridge – stripped back, voice up front]
We ain’t lazy. We’re just squeezed.
Sellin’ hours just to breathe.
Success used to mean you made it through.
Now it means you still got Wi-Fi too.
[Final Chorus – bigger, louder, like a rally]
A dollar ain’t a dollar anymore,
It used to buy time — now it locks up the door.
We build this world and get paid in dust,
Told to clap while they auction off trust.
Still showin’ up, still keepin’ score…
Even though a dollar ain’t a dollar anymore.
[Outro – just stomp, breath, guitar]
Keep your stimulus.
Keep your spin.
Just give me a shot
To start again.

Country-Blues / Blue-Collar Americana Grit