Posted by
NYMike on Thursday, January 29, 2009 12:00:00 AM
Ahh, the joys of home ownership. A mortgage, a yard to mow, condo association fees to pay, mailboxes to repair after the snow plow explodes it off the post, water filters to change, rotting trim to repair on a 40 foot ladder, property taxes, heating bills, appreciation and, most recently, depreciation.
Owning a home takes discipline, hard work, sacrifice, time, commitment, and most importantly, a pride of ownership, the willingness to be a stakeholder in your future - one must be proud to say this is mine, I have earned it, I will cherish the right and live up to the responsibility and fulfill my obligation to my community no matter the cost, on my own, by my own hand and effort!
And yet our economic situation is placed squarely at the foot of Americans who had no clue what ownership entails, what pride in earning and saving and sacrificing toward a goal is worth. These Americans wanted it on the cheap, wanted the easy way to the American Dream, were not willing to save and sacrifice and earn that right. These Americans are the born renters of our society. And just as we need burger flippers and mop pushers and the newly anointed shovel-ready job fillers, we need renters. And to those Americans, I dedicate this song, lovingly and kindly ripped off from Bruce Springsteen from the days when Bruce embraced and celebrated the American spirit of sacrifice and hard work and its rewards, the Bruce who sang of surviving and persevering in Darkness on the Edge of Town, the Bruce who celebrated the American Spirit in Jungleland, the Bruce who today sings against everything that ever existed in this country to make his life what it is.
So cue Born to Run in iTunes - or download it now - and take a few moments to revel in what it used to mean to suck it up in America, to depend on yourself or your family and to not look to government for the answers to your problems, to be an individual, to be responsible for your own actions and abilities and the future of your children.
My meter may not be spot on the first run through but it is after a few, and this message is dead on - you know it is. I am right. Don't doubt me.
In the day we rented the space that we lived while we strived for the American dream
At night we wished we owned our own home, how killer would that be
Sprung from paying someone else to live,
Vinyl sided, wood floors, with a fence and grass to mow
Ooohhh!!, Baby that mortgage is less than rent
We got no income, but the government says
We gotta right to own that home
‘cause tramps like us, baby we were born to own.
Yes we were
Jimmy let me in, I gotta have that house
But those bad banks demand an income
Bill I have no credit or down payment, just welfare
It’s not fair the man keeps me down some
Together we could break this trap,
We’ll borrow all this money, but the banks will be ok
Ooohhh!!, Will you walk with me out into debt
‘cause baby I never really owned a house
But I gotta know how it feels,
I haven’t saved or earned but I want to know if mortgage is real
Oh, can you show me - (Cue the big man)
The house I have isn’t worth what it was, but I still have a monthly payment
No money down, I don’t have jack in this house
I just don’t get my monthly statement!
The gutters fell off, what are property taxes?
What do you mean, I have to fix this stuff?
I’m not responsible for all this debt I have
I’m a renter, I’ve had enough - Huh!!
1-2-3-4
The bank system jammed, these renters cry “We promise you our vote”
These people on the run from their debt, “Someone else please pay my note!”
Together Barney we can stay in this house
I’ll love you with all the madness in my soul
Ooohhh!!, Someday soon I don’t know when we’ll go back to that place
Cause we hadn’t earned the right to that house after all
Cause baby, tramps like us, baby we were born to rent
Aww honey, tramps like us, baby we were born to rent
C’mon with me, tramps like us, baby we were born to rent.
Oh–oh–oh, ooo-ooo-ooo, whoa-whoa-whoa, . . . and so it goes.