Great Depression Rap - Smart Songs

Great Depression Rap - Smart Songs Directed by: Shoeless Jeff Written and Performed by: Shoeless Jeff & Scott Free Beat Composition: John Della Morte Mixing & Mastering: Marc Antonio Pritchett Filming: Tim McCombe & James Mills Special Effects Supervisor: Steven Aguilera Logo Design & Special Effects: Carlos de la Vega Costumes & Props: Mr. Vintage of Burbank Hair & Makeup: Katie Skarvinko and Danyell Weinberg Special Thanks: Arnold Delapous and Bob Smith for vintage cars Featured: Dennis King Geoffrey D. Hill Carly Toth Randy Vinneau Tanissia Sprull Max Stern Josh Capo Meghan Stephens Kim Farris Gallupdick Pullag Jacob McGregor Bryce Thurston Natalie Thurston Steven Aguilera Bob Smith Aaron Smith Nathan the Piano Man Lyrics: America was poor in the Great Depression Millions without jobs in every profession How will we eat was a daily question What are all the lessons of the Great Depression? Before the Great Depression, everything seemed great It was the Roaring 1920’s, people liked to celebrate A lotta food on their plate And there was money to make Factories were selling automobiles like hot cakes Not to mention household appliances and radios Flashy things, the economy was based on those But the problem was that if times got tough People weren’t gonna buy luxuries and all that stuff And if you can’t buy what you usually do Then the people who sell those things lose their jobs too And then they can’t buy, it’s like a domino effect So there were hidden changes Though things seemed perfect Chorus Before the Great Depression People thought they had luck Thinking up ways they could make a quick buck They’d buy a stock and sell it For more than they bought it for Sure to make a profit, long as the stock would soar Seemed like such a great idea, everybody wanted in Even with no money, they started borrowing They’d ask the bank for a loan to the buy the stock But could not pay it back when the stock would drop Lots of people got in debt, had to sell all their shares When some start selling, everyone gets scared Millions rushed to sell their stocks in a mass In the fall of ’29, the stock market crashed Chorus October 24, 1929, Black Thursday One of the country’s darkest times The market did crash, stocks began to tumble Many Americans faced financial trouble Their savings washed away in a matter of days Left with debt with no money to pay And our government—no, they didn’t want to panic They knew there was a problem, but didn’t understand it President Hoover tried to think of answers He wanted to improve spending What were the chances? Businesses closed, banks dried up like wells But Hoover thought things Would take care of themselves Chorus Millions of people were poverty stricken Living within wood shacks and poor conditions These makeshift camps sprouted up all around Hoovervilles they often called these towns A couple years passed, it was 1932 The presidential race began to ask who Could lift this country up from its depression Franklin Delano Roosevelt, no question Made the first and second New Deal Government projects, building bridges of steel With the Works Progress Administration Then World War II brought jobs to the nation Chorus