[Verse 1]
Back in forty-eight when the boom began
Middle class was growing across the land
Factory jobs with decent pay
Built the American dream day by day
But something shifted through the years
As inequality appears
[Chorus]
Trade and tech and institutions three
Changed our economy's destiny
Middle skills got hollowed out
That's what this song is all about
T-T-I, remember the three
Trade and tech and policy
[Verse 2]
Globalization opened doors
Jobs moved overseas to distant shores
Technology advanced so fast
Many middle jobs just couldn't last
Robots and computers came
Playing automation's game
[Chorus]
Trade and tech and institutions three
Changed our economy's destiny
Middle skills got hollowed out
That's what this song is all about
T-T-I, remember the three
Trade and tech and policy
[Verse 3]
Manufacturing jobs declined
Left skilled workers in a bind
Routine tasks that once paid well
Got automated, truth to tell
High school grads who built our cars
Found their prospects behind bars
[Bridge]
Some say trade's the biggest cause
Others point to tech and laws
Unions weakened, wages froze
Income gaps began to grow
Which factor matters most today
Economists still debate the way
[Chorus]
Trade and tech and institutions three
Changed our economy's destiny
Middle skills got hollowed out
That's what this song is all about
T-T-I, remember the three
Trade and tech and policy
[Outro]
From prosperity so broad and wide
To inequality's rising tide
The middle class felt the squeeze
As jobs moved overseas
T-T-I shaped what we see
In our modern economy