The first line of Nickel Arcade is a variation on a line from Bob Dylan’s, “Tombstone Blues,” which is a banger about the struggle of the lower class under the oppression and the thoughtlessness of more powerful people. Nickel Arcade is a variation on that theme, told from the perspective of a nickel arcade patron who’s facing a conflict of interest. The girl in the song is based on my younger sister, who recently got her first job. If you like over reacting to feelings of helplessness, and Arrested Development references, this is the song for you.
lyrics
I stood at the threshold of hysterics in the nickel arcade when the girl behind the counter told me just to let her know if she could help me in any way. So I looked in her dead eyes ‘til mine fell to her tie (and the tie clip that kept it in line), and I said, “I think you and me can help each other.” Because I just want to see my friends and play some video games, and in the meantime get you going on that minimum wage. But, what about whoever writes your checks? They make more money than you. But, not really, thanks to a defaulted mortgage and eight years of student loans. And what about whoever it is that signs that person’s checks? They make more money than you too. But, not really, thanks to M.C.A.’s (Merchant Cash Advances) and working capital loans. This nickel arcade will be long closed down before they pay off those small business loans to a giant corporation masquerading as a bank that’s praying to God they refinance every small business loan. OH, MY GOD! IT’S A FIRE SALE! And then from there the entirety of the nickel arcade experience gets degraded to a value, in a field, in a spreadsheet, with millions of unpaid balances. And all so that some script can compile some report, some bank executive can hold in one hand, so they can safely and comfortably masturbate over exactly how much money they’ll have, thanks to those small business loans. So, it seems to me, with every nickel that I put in these machines, I give more power to those who deserve it the least. But if you still want to help, I think I know exactly what we can do. We can go to the back, pull the fire alarm, grab the can of gasoline, roll for initiative, and then we get to burn this arcade right down! Gather the nickels, and hide them underground! Because that’s not a system that we should have to be a part of if we don’t want to be. But you have bills to pay, and I want to play a few more video games. Plus, I’m not sure that burning down nickel arcades is the best way to express my disdain.
What a damn solid record! It's the perfect example of why I'm certain that Ska Punk is going to play on the highlight reel when I hit up the afterlife. Scott
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