Verse 1) smoke and beer prices are listed at the till........I’m standing with a twenty, but it won't foot the bill.......Just a year ago this paper bought a six-pack and a smoke......Now the digital reedout treats a working man like a joke......He says, "Forty-two fifty, mate," without a hint of prideI feel the budget tightening like a knot inside.(Chorus)Oh, the beer is in the cooler, and the siggies on the shelfDam inflation got me second-guessing myselfCan't afford to live, can't afford to unwindBreaking my back just to get left behindYeah, the weekend’s arrived but the wallet is dryAnd a working man's dollar can't buy him a high.(Verse 2)I tell him drop the packet, ask him what's the liquid gold"Eighteen fifty for the lager," is the story I am toldLeave a dollar and a fifty, not enough to catch the busNot enough to fill the ute, so I put back the fussSlide the twenty in my pocket, tell him, "Put 'em on the rack"Walk out into the evening with a heavy, bended back.(Chorus)'Cause the beer is in the cooler, and the siggies on the shelfDam inflation got me second-guessing myselfCan't afford to live, can't afford to unwindBreaking my back just to get left behindYeah, the weekend’s arrived but the wallet is dryAnd a working man's dollar can't buy him a high.(Bridge)Forty-five hours pouring concrete in the sunUsed to mean a little comfort when the week was doneNow the neon at the local pub is glowing warm and brightBut I keep on driving past it, heading straight into the nightThe fridge is looking empty, just some mustard and some cheeseAnd the only thing that's left for free is the cool evening breeze.(Guitar Solo / Outro)Standing on the balcony, reaching for a ghostThinking 'bout the little things that hurt the bloody mostIt’s a steep hill to climb when you're running out of fuelIn a world where the prices are getting cold and cruelYeah, the night air is free...But it's a dam expensive time just to be.
