Story Behind The Song

My daughters and wife bought me one of those joke plaques to go on my office wall - since, like a typical dad, I'm always worrying about money, bills etc and how we never seem to get ahead. It struck a chord - and inspired the song. The bridge is inspired

Song Description

A song about money and divorce. About still being generous of spirit to someone less fortunate than yourself even when your circumstances are pretty bad and there doesn't seem much prospect of them improving. I wish I had the courage and generosity of the

Lyrics

Written by Graeme Michael Hall
© 2005, Big G?s Publishing, All rights reserved

Verse
I remember when grandpa
Gave me my first dime
I just don?t remember
When I didn?t have to work overtime
Just a few years back
When my wife and I met
We had such plans for our future
We?d work hard and in a few years we?d be set
I?m a few years older now
More n? a few grand deeper in debt

Chorus
Well I started out with nothing
And things only got worse
Daddy had nothing
Grandpa before him
I guess it?s a family curse
What ever I make
The alimony takes
The tax man takes the rest
I started out with nothing
I still got most of it left

Verse 2
Well they say in the 90?s
Everybody got rich
I guess my wife and I got distracted
We were working on our seven year itch
She got the house and car
And the alimony hurts
And although she can?t stand me
She still wants to own my very last shirt
You can have this one honey
Smell that smell of ?eau de work

Chorus
Well I started out with nothing
And things only got worse
Daddy had nothing
Grandpa before him
I guess it?s a family curse
What ever I make
The alimony takes
The tax man takes the rest
I started out with nothing
I still got most of it left

Bridge
I bet the last dollar I had
On some three legged nag
Fifty to one to come in
But the favorite fell
Some others as well
And darned if it didn?t win
On my way home
I met a homeless man
Who said I?m tired
And I?m hungry and I?m done
Sir could you spare me a dollar
To ease my squalor
God bless you
Why thank you son

Verse 3
Well now I?ve got nothing
But it sure feels good
And if the good Lord were to take me now
For once I did the best that I could
I feel like a regular
Modern day Robin Hood

Chorus
Well I started out with nothing
And things only got worse
Daddy had nothing
Grandpa before him
I guess it?s a family curse
What ever I make
The alimony takes
The tax man takes the rest
I started out with nothing
I still got most of it left