Image and Caption:  Local banker addressing citizen’s meeting, Farm Security Administration, U.S. Library of Congress, LC-USF33- 012153-M3

Lyrics:

Hard Money Men ain’t got no pity

For farmers in Ohio or bums in Jersey City

‘Cause the Hard Money Man he says with certainty:

“We oughtta liquidate and liquidate from sea to shining sea”

Sure the cure for any ill’s a double dose of misery–

At least for working people sir the likes of you and me

Mr. Hard Money Man when we’re all liquidated

Will you be satisfied by the disaster you created?

Hard Money Men don’t show no kindness

‘Cause the Hard Money Man’s he’s got a funny kind of blindness

See they Hoovered up the money without a mind to share it

Leaving precious little for us meek folks to inherit

And Mr. Market can’t be wrong, no sirree they swear it–

But it’s funny how it works: we get all stick, they get all carrot

Mr. Hard Money Man, you tell us “grin and bear it”

Since you’re consigning us to poverty perhaps you’d volunteer to share it?

The working man’s lot is hard and getter harder

For the sake of shiny bullion being piled in the larder

But the Hard Money Man he’s says “Listen to your betters–

Someday you’ll be rewarded if you’ll wear your golden fetters”

Mr. Hard Money Man, I admit to some suspicion

You might change your tune were you in our position