[Verse 1]
After the war in forty-eight
America stood at prosperity's gate
GDP growing, wages rising high
The middle class reached for the sky
But measuring wealth ain't always clear
What metrics tell us year by year
[Chorus]
Outputs tell the story, numbers paint the scene
GDP and wages, what do they really mean
Income inequality, the gap that grows so wide
Twenty terms to guide us through prosperity's ride
From peak to valley, rise and fall
These outputs help explain it all
[Verse 2]
Real median income climbed so steep
Through the sixties, gains we'd keep
But productivity and wages split apart
Around the seventies, that's when we start
To see the cracks in golden years
As data points confirm our fears
[Chorus]
Outputs tell the story, numbers paint the scene
GDP and wages, what do they really mean
Income inequality, the gap that grows so wide
Twenty terms to guide us through prosperity's ride
From peak to valley, rise and fall
These outputs help explain it all
[Bridge]
Gini coefficient measures the divide
Labor force participation, who's left outside
Consumer price index tracks what we pay
While unemployment rates shift day by day
Manufacturing jobs moved overseas
Service sector growth, but less with ease
[Verse 3]
Housing costs and healthcare too
College debt for me and you
Real wages stagnant, prices climb
The American Dream lost in time
But data helps us understand
The forces shaping our great land
[Chorus]
Outputs tell the story, numbers paint the scene
GDP and wages, what do they really mean
Income inequality, the gap that grows so wide
Twenty terms to guide us through prosperity's ride
From peak to valley, rise and fall
These outputs help explain it all
[Outro]
Twenty terms in our glossary
To decode economic history
From broad-based growth to concentrated wealth
These outputs measure our nation's health