Hmm. Okay. I think I understand where this is coming from. The statements in the bridge may sound confusing and like they're going a different direction, but in truth, they're a simple fact of life over here for the majority. They're going to hit home and communicate his triumph over adversity, a message that's always well-received. The fact that he stuck it to the government in the process is the icing on the cake.
It's fitting the mood of the people in the country at the moment, the anger over the bailout for bankers at the expense of those who could afford it least. We're all still languishing financially from it ten years later. The damage done to our personal wealth was not recoverable in our lifetimes, yet the wealthy made out like bandits and increased their share exponentially. Our wages have stagnated in this country for nearly 40 years, and the crash robbed us of property value increases. For example, our home is worth less now than it was in 1999 when it should have doubled in value by now. Most were under water on their mortgages, meaning they owed more than their homes were worth. It made our homes and property a lost investment.
This man found a way to turn that situation to his advantage and set himself up for life without a mortgage. That's what he's celebrating. It's a big FU to the bankers and corporate-loving government.
So when I wrote the chorus that followed the bridge, I worded it "Now I'm living the dream . . . " to show that he profited by letting his morals go in that moment and overcame by using the loopholes in the tax and property laws used by the wealthy to hide their money/property/profits. He turned the tables.
The comment that we saw from the man in Texas communicates clearly how this message is going to be received by the intended listeners. Internally, the US is a spark away from widespread civil unrest. The rage against the government and corporate collusion is palpable. Our election system has been fixed to the degree that we have no control over who gets elected - many people don't even realize this yet, but when certain factions do I don't want to be here to see what happens after that. If ever there were a time to bail out of this country it would be now while the getting is still good. But that's enough of that. I just needed to show you where we are politically and financially to explain the lyrics.
A lot of songwriting is psychology and using it to manipulate feelings. With this story, I'm hoping to tap into that anger and give the listeners joy enhanced with some sense of underhanded, vigilante revenge. The victim became a victor and will celebrate that the rest of his life by moving outside of the mainstream economy. He's gone rogue. He's no longer a captive of the whims of Wall Street. He's living the dream of every working wage slave, literally. He has peace, rest and recreation, a perpetual vacation. Living off of the land, he has everything he needs. He can't be touched by outside economic forces and doesn't need to bend to the consumer economy market conventions for his survival.
So I guess that I lean in favor of keeping the original bridge if you're so willing. For me, it adds just the right information to make it personal for the listeners here in the US. They're going to gobble that up like starving pigs at an overflowing trough of slop. Yee haw!
Now, after writing that novel, I'm going to edit in another option that might flow better and sound more positive, just so you think I'm the most wishy-washy being on the planet:
When my investments burned like trash
I got forced from the working-class
Dug up my greenback stash and
Bought this lake with largemouth bass