In this hard time paradigm it’s hard to make just a pair of dimes
And we are all doing time because we all did the crime
Still it’s hard work to hoe the row and it’s hard work to tow the line
And we all got the hard time paradigm blues

Hard work, I know what it means to wear a hole in a pair of jeans
While I’m out here getting my clock cleaned, ground to the ground by the old machine
And every day is a little more lean, every hard heart is a little more mean
I’m just telling you what I’ve seen and I know you’ve seen it too
Cause we’ve all got the hard time paradigm blues

It’s hard news everywhere, it’s hard to look and it’s harder to care
It’s “mind your own” and “buyer beware,” it’s “keep your hands off my share”
We’re hard to hurt and even harder to scare so we’ll keep hitting it hard ’til we strip it bare
We can’t stop now cause we’re on a tear, it’s sad but it’s true
Cause we’ve all got the hard time paradigm blues

Give a man a pair of dice, in his mind he’ll see paradise
If he tries it once, he’ll try it twice, next thing he knows he’s hooked for life
He’ll lose his home, he’ll lose his wife, there’s nothing that he won’t sacrifice
He’ll just put the whole damn thing on ice cause what else can he do?
He’s got a bad case of the hard time paradigm blues

It’s hard work just to make the scene, keep your head up, keep your nose clean
It’s hard work just to pay the dues, keep you head down and push on through
It’s hard work just to be alive, you’ve gotta keep the motor running baby and drive
It’s hard work no matter what you do, cause we all got the hard time paradigm blues

Cain was just a natural man, we’ve all gotta get it where we can
When you take the food, you take the hand cause there’s a darkness moving across this land
The criminals and thugs who are in command want see how much more we can stand
Corruption’s not a defect, it’s the brand as I’m sure you’ve noticed too
Cause we’ve all the got the hard time paradigm blues

Hard nosed pragmatist, his face buried in The Economist
Between the lines he can read the gist, he sees pitch forks emerging from the mist
He knows in every plot there’s always a twist so he keeps his hand clinched in a fist
He’s afraid if he gets taken he won’t be missed, yeah he’s got it just as bad as you
He’s got the hard time paradigm blues

There’s a cool rage it’s about to blow, you can feel brewing everywhere you go
The kids are always the first to know, you’ll see ‘em diving for the corners in slo mo
When some broken damn starts to flow cause he’s the star of his own tv show
He’s gonna take me out now, it’s time to go so I guess that means we’re through
And I’m gonna finally get break from these hard time paradigm blues