[Verse 1] Back in nineteen forty-eight, the data tells a story Union contracts spread around, workers shared the glory Density was climbing high, thirty percent and more Primary sources show us how prosperity could soar [Chorus] Read the charts and trace the lines Union density through time Minimum wage in real terms Federal data helps us learn CBO shows the divide After-tax truth we can't hide Primary sources never lie They show us when and how and why [Verse 2] Labor contracts covered more than members signed the papers Spillover effects were real, lifting up the laborers Wage premia evidence proves unions raised the bar Bureau stats and surveys show how benefits spread far [Chorus] Read the charts and trace the lines Union density through time Minimum wage in real terms Federal data helps us learn CBO shows the divide After-tax truth we can't hide Primary sources never lie They show us when and how and why [Bridge] State by state the wages varied Some kept up while others carried Lower standards, weaker laws Congressional Budget Office draws The picture clear of inequality Transfer payments, tax reality [Verse 3] By the eighties trends had shifted, density falling down Real minimum wage was shrinking in many a town CBO reports reveal the growing income gap Primary sources paint the map of prosperity's collapse [Final Chorus] Read the charts and trace the lines Union density declined Minimum wage lost its power Federal data shows each hour CBO reveals the truth Income gaps affect our youth Primary sources tell the tale Of when broad prosperity failed [Outro] Archives hold the evidence Economic data dense Trust the sources, read them well They have important stories to tell
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