Image and caption: Image: Father and son, idle American workman, near Bridgton, New Jersey, Farm Security Administration – Office of War Information Photograph Collection (Library of Congress) LC-USF34- 009123-C

Lyrics:

We’re in a bad way, and very nearly fairly, squarely broke
We’re having hard times, and running close to wholly out of hope
‘Cause liquidation, see, has been very much in fashion in these parts
And for each factory shut, you’ll find a hundred broken homes and broken hearts—

‘Cause redundancy it’s a bitter pill to swallow
When the boss man, he says “we won’t need you tomorrow”
And eventually, you’ve nothing left to beg or borrow–
Without work a bad way just keeps getting worse
We’re in a bad way, and something’s got to give
‘Cause the fact is sir “man must work to live”
Without work a bad way’s likely to get worse

It’s a sad day, guaranteed to be dejecting
We got bills to pay, and I’m afraid that I’m expecting
The banker man to come around collecting
Foreclosure, hell, that would put us on the street
But pay the mortgage, well, and we can’t afford to eat
With a helping hand, we might get back on our feet—
Without work a bad way just keeps getting worse

This worst hard time, it’s a crushing burden
From sea to sea every working person’s hurting
But the Government Man, he says relief is still uncertain
It’s a slam dunk we need a helping hand
On account of all the suffering in this hard land
Tell me how the hell can anybody not understand
Without work a bad way just keeps getting worse