[Verse 1] In Moscow nineteen seventy-three The stores were empty, shelves were bare The state promised prosperity But favors got you what you need to share When systems can't deliver what they claim People start to play a different game [Chorus] When the gap grows wide between the promise and the real When the rules become just theater, here's the deal Trust falls down, fixers rise up from the ground Blat networks spread when institutions come unwound It's not about the evil, it's about the weak When systems fail, alternatives is what people seek [Verse 2] America today's not quite the same But patterns start to rhyme across the years When people lose their faith in the game The parallel economy appears Left and right both feeling the decline Looking for brokers who can jump the line [Chorus] When the gap grows wide between the promise and the real When the rules become just theater, here's the deal Trust falls down, fixers rise up from the ground Blat networks spread when institutions come unwound It's not about the evil, it's about the weak When systems fail, alternatives is what people seek [Bridge] There's a tipping point we need to know When cynicism starts to grow First it's edgy, then it's smart Then the whole thing falls apart When you believe the game is fair You compete within the square When you think it's all for show That's when favor networks grow [Verse 3] Track the trust data through the years Watch the numbers fall and fall When belief in fairness disappears The brokers start to get the calls Gap between what rules apply And how they work for you and I [Final Chorus] When the gap grows wide between the promise and the real When the rules become just theater, here's the deal Trust falls down, fixers rise up from the ground Blat networks spread when institutions come unwound Not evil people, just weak institutions Breeding cynical solutions [Outro] From Soviet shortages to American doubt Same pattern playing out When systems can't deliver what they say People always find another way
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