Me + Mine
American Aquarium Lyrics

Me and mine have worked this land
My family and I have been tending to this farm for generations

As long as my grandfather can remember
This has been a part of my family's livelihood for as long as anyone can recall

Plow in soil, diggin' holes
We do tough manual labor day in and day out to keep our farm running

Pilin' coal, to strippin' down the timber
We work in a variety of industries just to make ends meet

Then they showed up, they shut us down
Big corporations and the government came in and closed down our industries, taking away our livelihoods

Same old story, the same old town
This has happened to many other towns like ours, and it feels like it's just going to keep happening

"It's like we don't matter", mamma said
My mother vocalizes the feeling of worthlessness and disregard that we feel as a community

"At least that's how it seems"
She acknowledges that it may not be a fact, but that's how it appears to us

And that's the day I woke up
The day the government closed down industry in our town was the day I realized the American Dream is not what it seems

From the American dream
The idea that anyone can succeed and achieve their goals in America is not a reality for everyone

What are you supposed to do
When even the higher power you believe in can't help you, what options do you have?

When the God you're prayin' to
Referring to a higher power or government officials that we're relying on to help us

Up and goes missin'?
When the help we need is nowhere to be found

Leaves a trail on unpaid bills
The helplessness we experience is leading to debt and financial strain

Broken homes and opioid addiction
The hopelessness of our situation is leading to destructive behaviors and unhealthy coping mechanisms

And then a politician shows up
Politicians start offering promises of change and hope

Promisin' that
Offering hope that the jobs will return and the community will recover

He'll return the jobs
The politicians promise of bringing jobs back to the community

That God himself could not bring back
The politicians are making promises they can't keep

Fool me once, shame on you
When the politicians don't follow through on their promises, it's their fault

Fool me twice, shame on me
If we continue to believe their empty promises after experiencing disappointment, then it's our fault

Yeah, that's the day I gave up
After experiencing disappointment from politicians and the government for too long, I stopped believing in the American Dream

On the American dream
The idea of the American Dream that is promised to all is not achievable for many Americans, and is not a reality for everyone

We're tough as nails, mean as hell
We are hard workers and fighters and won't give up easily

Without an ounce of quit in our veins
We will continue to fight and work hard regardless of the challenges we face

But the harder we work, the more they take
The more we try to recover from the hardship we've been dealt, the more we lose

'Till all the good is gone, for goodness sake
We continue to lose everything we have and it feels like it's never going to stop

Neither the left or the right
Both political parties have failed to help us

Are gonna fight for folks stuck in between
The middle class, working Americans are not a priority for either political party

The way things really are
The harsh reality of the situation

The American dream
The idea of the American Dream is a myth and not a reality for many Americans

These lamentations
Songs of sorrow and grief

Are gonna be the death of me
The sadness and hopelessness of the situation is becoming unbearable

Are gettin' too damn hard to sing
We are struggling to find any positivity or hope in the situation