Uncle Sam's Lament - The Foremen

Well, it ain’t no hype

Times is tough

I’m cryin' and wipin' my nose on my cuff

And I stand out on the sidewalk with my hand out in the cold

Buddy, can you spare a billion dollars?

Well, I’m feelin' blue

'Tain't feelin' pink

'Cause I printed too much green stuff with red ink

And I walk up Main Street, Anytown, in hock up to my neck

Buddy, can you spare a billion dollars?

Once the sun was high and I was everybody’s Uncle Sam

All I had to do was point a finger at 'em and say, «I want you.»

But, now the sky is cloudy and they swear they don’t know who I am

I’m mildly recessed

And tremendously overdressed

(Spoken)

A billion dollars… That’s a thousand million dollars. That’s enough to fill

the Houston Astrodome with Good & Plenty. That’s enough to support Arianna

Huffington for six or seven years. That’s enough to buy every banjo ever made.

But for me, that’s just one day’s interest payment

(Sung)

Now, when I was secure

I was a mensch

I rebuilt Europe in spite of the French

Now I’m flat out on the sidewalk with my hat out in the snow

Buddy, hey, buddy

Anybody, can you spare a billion dollars?