Bittersweet

Posted on Dec 23, 2014

Making my way down through South Louisiana,

watching that sugar cane burn.

Sometimes you’ve gotta take the bitter with the sweet

when there’s a lesson to be learned.

Met a dirt farmer, a down-to-earth philosopher, leaning on his fence.

He said, “this country with all it’s wealth and potential seems lacking in common sense.”

We’ve got to get up, get up, get up, get up, get up

Get out from under this…

This life is bittersweet.

“We can’t keep living like this”, she said, “we can’t do this anymore.

You working three jobs, me going to school and the landlord at our door.”

As the thunder rolled we pulled down the bottle we’d been saving for this day,

And we smashed it into pieces and made that money rain.

We’ve got to get up, get up, get up, get up, get up

Get out from under this.

It’s all we’ve ever known, it’s always been a hard road

For everyday heroes who shoulder our share of the load,

It’s all we’ve ever known.

Together, we are strong enough, together we will rise.

Cause there ain’t no one gonna come and bail us out.

Our dignity is not for sale, our hearts are much to big to fail

And we’ll keep getting up when we get knocked down.

I gave my best years to the company and they gave me my steady pay.

Shrinking my department made the shareholders happy,

so they thanked me with walking papers.

That night I walked through my front door like I’d been doing all these years,

And I sank down into my easy chair as my wife fought back the tears.

We’re going to get up, get up, get up, get up, get up

Get out from under this.

It’s all we’ve ever known, it’s always been a hard road

for everyday heroes who shoulder our share of the load.

This life is bittersweet.