[Verse 1]
Watched your parents struggle for everything they claim
Your father fought the great war, when his country called his name
Lessons of grit and determination is all that he displayed
The greatest generation, we still call them that today
When you outsource your life to the prescription of the day
Why did you not learn there are consequences for which you have to pay
Watched you ride an airport wheelchair, when you can walk just fine
While a 90 year old beside you, proudly stands in line
[Chorus]
The charlatans of yesteryear sold their elixirs disguised as hope
They made more promises of paradise than even the catholic pope
They were replaced by pushers on street corners peddling their dope
Hard for them to compete today with men wearing long white coats
[Verse 2]
Your parents worked the fields and factories, no need for gyms
It kept their minds sharp and their bodies slim
You never heard them complain about the aches or pains
They wore callousses as much a part of them as their given names
How could you have witnessed their life and be the person you ve become
Did you simply ignore the lessons or choose to become so numb
When life becomes too easy it always corrupts the mind
When people seek the road most traveled, ruination is all they find
[Chorus]
The charlatans of yesteryear sold their elixirs disguised as hope
They made more promises of paradise than even the catholic pope
They were replaced by pushers on street corners peddling their dope
Hard for them to compete today with men wearing long white coats
[Verse 3]
How did you come to think life could be divorced from what you earn
How could you watch your parents fight to live, and this be the lesson that you learned.
No need to leave the house for shopping, just call the QVC
No need to cook your dinner, pizza delivery is free
A pill to wake you up, a pill to go to sleep
Another to hide the promises to yourself, that you never keep
A pill to take away your manufactured pain
Still there aren t enough, to satisfy your long list of complaints
