Taxed 'Til We're Dry

Verse 1
Sun comes up, boots hit dirt
Break my back just to earn my worth
Clock it in, sweat it out
They take their cut before I count

Pre-Chorus
Feels like I’m chasin’ a dollar bill
But it’s gone ‘fore I stand still

Chorus
We’re taxed on the money we make with our hands
Taxed when we spend it just tryin’ to stand
Gas in the tank, food on the plate
They take a bite every step we take
Buy a little land, think it’s mine
But they still come knockin’ come tax time
Yeah we work, we bleed, we try
But we’re taxed ‘til we’re runnin’ dry

Verse 2
Fill that truck, watch them signs
Prices jump like county lines
Grocery cart, don’t go far
Still payin’ more for who we are

Pre-Chorus
Every road’s got a toll to pay
Ain’t no free ride in this place

Chorus
We’re taxed on the money we make with our hands
Taxed when we spend it just tryin’ to stand
Gas in the tank, food on the plate
They take a bite every step we take
Buy a little land, think it’s mine
But they still come knockin’ come tax time
Yeah we work, we bleed, we try
But we’re taxed ‘til we’re runnin’ dry

Bridge (break it down – banjo & spoons)
Granddaddy said “son, save what you can”
But they got a piece of every plan
From the cradle to the grave, they take their share
Leavin’ folks gaspin’ for a breath of air

Final Chorus
Taxed on the work, taxed on the pay
Taxed on the livin’ day by day
Can’t get ahead, just gettin’ by
Feels like a crime just to survive
Call it freedom, but I don’t know why
It feels like we’re just gettin’ by
Yeah we work, we bleed, we try
But we’re taxed ‘til we’re runnin’ dry

Backwoods folk country, banjo and harmonica, spoon percussion, raw vocals, gritty, working-class anthem, stripped-down.