Prompt / Lyrics
[Intro] Mama hummin’ low Bills stacked high Baby need shoes I just ask why (mm) [Verse 1] Cupboard got crumbs Rent man knock Say he need funds I just stall, talk Phone full of due dates Fridge hum, half bare Swipe, get that decline Cashier just stare Daddy got laid off Steel mill shut He got pride, got calloused hands But they cut We pray on the porch Same old prayer Storm rollin’ in But the checks ain’t there [Chorus] Oh, hard times, pullin’ on my back (hey!) Singin’ these blues just to stay on track We don’t break, we bend, we sway Poor folk livin’ in a rich man’s day Oh, hard times, shout it on that line Stack that pain, turn it into rhyme If we fall, we rise halfway Poor folk livin’ in a rich man’s day (hey!) [Verse 2] Food stamp card That’s my gold Got a cart full of “maybe” Do the math, fold Baby say, “Mama, Why you always tired?” ’Cause the light in this house Run on dreams and fire Boss want blood For a two-week check Smile in my face Boot on my neck Still I hum that tune From my grandma’s mouth Turn my hurt to a chant Shake the ground, shake the South [Chorus] Oh, hard times, pullin’ on my back (yeah!) Singin’ these blues just to stay on track We don’t break, we bend, we sway Poor folk livin’ in a rich man’s day Oh, hard times, shout it on that line Stack that pain, turn it into rhyme If we fall, we rise halfway Poor folk livin’ in a rich man’s day (oh, hard times) [Bridge] Hands up high If you carry that load If your whole damn life Feel like one long road We gon’ stomp, we gon’ cry We gon’ cuss, then pray Turn our hurt to a holler ’Til the world make way (make way) [Chorus] Oh, hard times, pullin’ on my back Singin’ these blues just to stay on track We don’t break, we bend, we sway Poor folk livin’ in a rich man’s day Oh, hard times, shout it on that line (that line) Stack that pain, turn it into rhyme If we fall, we rise halfway Poor folk livin’ in a rich man’s day (hey!) Poor folk livin’ in a rich man’s day
Tags
rap, Southern trap meets old work-song chantey; swampy guitar and dusty piano under booming 808s, ticking hi-hats, and aggressive scratch cuts. Female vocals upfront, gritty and soulful on the hooks, rhythmic and sharp on verses. Call-and-response gang vocals echo key phrases, with stomps and claps thickening the downbeats. Energy builds from sparse, ominous verses into a huge, chest-thumping chorus that feels like a crew hauling the weight together., female vocals, scratch
Duration
2:45
Instrumental
No
Created
2/17/2026