Growing up poor means you gotta be creative Your menu in life must be quite imaginative From the clothes you wear to the food you eat Nothing taken for granted, no thread count sheets People try to help, often those with more But you won’t believe what we found at our door In a Thanksgiving basket, rolls of paper pictures a whole meal and candy on scriptures Paper turkeys and a plastic wish, We laughed ‘til we cried — that’s Scratch ’n Sniff. [Pre-Chorus] Ah, we learned to love the smell of pretend, Rub a magazine dream, baby, breathe it in... [Chorus] ’Cause life’s just Scratch ’n Sniff, honey, You get the scent, but not the money. Perfume pages, Cadillac dreams, We were high on hopes and low on means. It’s sweet, it’s slick, it fades too quick — All of life is Scratch ’n Sniff. [Verse 2] Dad tried so hard to find his groove, Sayin’, “Someday, we’re gonna make our move.” We’d rub perfume ads, put a dab on Mom, She’d close her eyes and feel like she belonged. TV dinners in the dark with a plastic fork, Watch the world walk by right from our porch. But hey, we had hopes, we had our myth — We were rich in dreams, and Scratch ’n Sniff. [Pre-Chorus] Yeah, you can’t buy joy, but you can fake the glow, We were shining bright, the stars of our show... [Chorus] ’Cause our life’s just Scratch ’n Sniff, You don't get a taste, just a whiff Dreams we've seen in a magazine bliss, Chasing ghosts through sweet perfume mist. It’s smooth, it’s slick, it fades too quick — All of life is Scratch ’n Sniff. [Bridge – Breakdown / Spoken Groove] Now I've got bills, and I've got a car, Still scratchin’ that dream like a faded scar. Got cologne from France, says “Duty free,” But I still smell the child I used to be... (Backbeat comes in — organ swell) [Final Chorus] Life’s still Scratch ’n Sniff, baby, You catch a whiff, it drives you crazy. Sweet illusion, rich disguise, Hope looks good in our hungry eyes. It’s slick, it’s quick — but oh, that lift… All of life is Scratch ’n Sniff. [Outro fade — ad libs over vamp] Scratch it, baby, smell that dream... Mmm, life ain’t what it seems... Just a little whiff, just a little whiff… All of life is Scratch ’n Sniff.
