Yip, it's a Recession

"Once I built a railroad, made it run, made it race against time. Once I built a railroad; now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?"

I've heard Bing Crosby and Monty Burns croon out the old Harburg dirge, studied its relation to the Great Depression, stared blindly at the tower of later verses. But, I never paid much attention to Al, thinking like too many of us, the world could never peel back to those gritty times. Breadlines I would never see, except in grainy black and whites, or desperation I would never experience except through the suspension of disbelief during Bagger Vance. (Remember that little kid's shame at having a garbage man father? I watch too much T.V.)

However, the economy worsens; stores drop like turds from a bird's ass, and we're left looking at the rubble. Will our railroad run again? Should we don our khaki suit and follow the drum? Slog through Hell, full of that yankee doodle dee dum? I don't know. There are smarter minds working on restoration projects I don't understand. All I can really hold onto is that Yip Harburg, lyricist of "Brother", also penned "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", the Great Depression's most wonderful, hopeful and escapist anthem.

"If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow, why, oh why, can't I?"