Up every morning with the sun   I work all day till the evening comes   Blisters and corns all in my hands   Lord, have mercy on a working man      I guess I'm gonna die just like I?m living   In poverty      My pay goes down and my tax goes up   I drink my tea from a broken cup   Between my woman and Uncle Sam   I can't figure out whose fool I am      I guess I'm gonna die just like I'm living   In poverty      Oh Lord, it's so hard but it's fair   Everybody talks but nobody really cares, Lord      I can't save a dime, can't buy me one cent   I pay my bills, I can't pay my rent   The old lady's fussing and the kids are crying   They won't let me join the welfare line      I guess I'm gonna die just like I'm living   In poverty      They say there?s one poverty   They say it's going around now   But all I need is people, oh Lord   They're trying to keep you down now, oh      Poverty, that's where I'm gonna stay now   Oh Lord, it seems that?s where I?m gonna stay