Safety Nets & Solidarity V2.0

Hook [Anthemic, crowd-ready] “Where’s my bootstraps? Where’s our safety nets?” [Crowd echoes: “Where’s our safety nets?!”] They cut the threads, then blame us for the debt— The fringe is your reflection… Don’t look away yet. Verse 1 [Slow, conversational flow over gritty bassline] You say “work harder” — but the floor’s on fire, They burned the bridges, then call us “lazy liars.” Snyder’s truth: Tyrants need the ignored, Divide the many, let the few get adored. [Beat pause] Grandma’s on SNAP, Pops fought in their wars, But y’all still ask, “Why they knockin’ my door?” Safety nets ain’t free rides — it’s glue for the cracks, No nets? Watch democracy snap back. Chorus [Punchy, syncopated rhythm] Where’s my bootstraps? [Beat drop: “Hey!”] Where’s our safety nets? [Crowd: “Where?!”] They shame the struggle, then place their bets. The fringe is the canary — hear its song, ’Cause if it dies here, we all gone. Verse 2 [Raw, first-gen perspective over haunting piano] [Voice cracks slightly] Mama worked triple, no time to “network,” They tax her check, then call her the jerk. “Temporary Assistance” — but the trap’s permanent, They profit off pain — that’s the corporate sermon. [Beat speeds up] Snyder said, “Question power, don’t normalize lies,” So why we cool with kids sellin’ snacks to survive? The system’s rigged — but we’re the reset, Fight for the fringe, or become the next target. Bridge [Call-and-response chant over stomp-clap beat] They say pull up! [Crowd: “How?!”] When the ropes are cut! They say rise up! [Crowd: “How?!”] When the ladder’s stuck! History’s screaming: “Solidarity or bust,” The fringe ain’t “them” — the fringe is us. Outro [Spoken word over muted trumpet fade] [Voice lowers, urgent whisper] Tyranny starts when they erase our connections… Food stamps, Medicaid — not “handouts,” but protections. First-gen, last-gen — we all deserve the net, ’Cause Snyder warned: “Alone? You lose. Together? We checkmate.”